When Your Heart Wears Thin
by Ksue
Summary: Payson's life is in shambles, and Sasha is there to pick up the pieces.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Coming Home**

"_You were young and you were strong / lots of dreams that all went wrong / you won't tell them how you lost it all / you'll just say you're comin' home."_

The steady beat of the windshield wipers was enough to put Payson to sleep, but instead of letting her eyes drift closed like she desperately wanted to, she forced them open a little wider. Normally, she would turn on the radio to keep her awake, but the sleeping cargo strapped into the car seat behind her made that a bad idea.

"Almost to Grandma's," Payson whispered, checking the tow-headed two year old in the rearview mirror. They weren't headed to her childhood home, though; they were headed for the nearest Holiday Inn. Kim and Mark were on vacation for a couple more days, and Payson no longer had a key. It would have been an entirely different story if her parents had known she was coming, but her decision to drive back to Boulder had been very last minute.

A strange clunking pulled Payson from her thoughts, which was probably a good thing, except that it meant the car was breaking down. In the pouring rain. In the middle of nowhere.

"No, no, no," Payson begged, pounding on the steering wheel with the heel of her hand. She eased the Lexus to the shoulder, set the hazard lights, and then slumped back against the seat. She blew out a slow, even breath and then popped the hood.

Jumping out of the car, Payson ran to the front, lifting the hood and propping it open and then ducking beneath it to shield her eyes from the rain. She braced her hands on either side, in prime position to be crushed if she hadn't propped the hood correctly, like Jeffrey accused her of all the time, and peered at the engine. Payson knew a little bit about car maintenance, her Dad had taught her a few years ago to change a car's oil, to replace coolant and anti-freeze, but there was nothing wrong that her novice eyes could see.

"Damn it," she sighed.

The sound of a truck pulling up next to her car almost made Payson smack the back of her head against the hood, but she ducked again just in time and backed out slowly.

"You need a lift?"

Payson froze at the sound of the smooth, British accent. She hadn't seen him since her wedding day, and the circumstances she found herself in were not the ones in which she wanted to reconnect. She cursed her bad luck that he would be the Good Samaritan to help her out.

"No, thank you, I'm fine," Payson said, trying to hide her face.

"Come on, you're getting drenched. I promise I'm not an axe-murderer," he said. She could hear the laughter in his voice and found herself fighting a smile.

"All right, I suppose I can trust you." Payson turned to face him. The light from her headlights made it hard to see his face, and probably hers too, but she heard him suck in a breath as he recognized her.

"Payson?" he whispered. She almost didn't hear him over the rain.

"Hey Sasha." They just stood facing each other for a long moment before Sasha seemed to remember himself.

"Come on, you'll catch your death out here," Sasha insisted.

"Is it okay if I move my stuff?" Payson asked.

"Of course. Let me help," Sasha went to the back of the car and opened the hatch to grab Payson's only suitcase as Payson ducked into the backseat to unbuckle Harper and grab her purse.

"Uh, Sasha can you help me with this?" Payson asked when she was sure Sasha was done with her suitcase.

"Of course, what is it?"

"The car-seat needs to be moved to your truck." Sasha stopped in his tracks as he watched Payson practically dive into his truck with Harper.

"I, uh, I forgot you had a daughter," he whispered, strapping in the seat. Payson settled Harper into it as Sasha climbed into the driver's seat and pulled away from her car. "Where to? Your parents'?"

"No, they're out of town. The Holiday Inn over by the Pearl Street Mall is fine," Payson said.

"A hotel? No, that's mad. You can sleep at my apartment until your mum and dad are back in town," Sasha insisted.

"No, Sasha, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's not up for discussion."

#

Sasha's apartment was definitely a step-up from the Airstream, and not much farther from The Rock. As Payson followed him inside, she looked for any signs of a feminine touch, something to suggest whether or not he had a girlfriend. She knew he wasn't married, she would have heard from her mother, but that didn't mean he wasn't dating, or living with, someone. The apartment was entirely male though; neat, but Spartan.

"I'll get you some towels," Sasha offered, disappearing down a hallway. Harper started to stir in her arms so she began to move, walking around the room and bouncing slightly. She stopped in front of a wall of photos and smiled at the memories there; pictures of her and the other Rock girls at various stages in their careers, one of her and him at the Olympics, after she won the All-Around gold, several framed news clippings, and some pictures of girls she didn't recognize who must have been the current Rock girls.

"Miss it?" Sasha asked from behind her. She smiled at him sadly, nodding.

"Sometimes, very much."

He handed her the towels and Payson went to work drying and changing Harper, and then herself, in the large bathroom Sasha directed her too. She debated drying her hair, but tied it back in a braid instead. Then she settled Harper into Sasha's bed, although she had resisted putting him out like that for as long as possible, and returned to the living room.

"Better?" He asked, handing her a glass of wine. She nodded.

"Thank you, Sasha, really."

"It's not a problem. So, what brings you back to Boulder?" Sasha asked as he and Payson sat down on his couch. Payson curled her feet beneath her and sipped her wine.

"Just…coming home," Payson said. Sasha watched her, noting her left ring finger, which was bare except for a dramatic tan line where her wedding ring used to be.

"Payson, what happened?" Sasha asked. He asked in that voice he used to use on her, when he wanted to compel her to do something without triggering her stubborn streak, and he knew she would answer him.

"I left Jeffrey."

#

_Los Angeles, CA- 2 days earlier_

_Payson was just coming downstairs from tucking Harper in for her mid-afternoon nap when she heard Jeffrey's iPhone ringing. He'd left in such a hurry that morning, late for a meeting with some client who was apparently a big deal, that he'd left it sitting on the dining room table. Not thinking twice, she jogged into the dining room and grabbed it. _

"_Jeffrey Thames' phone," she answered. There was a long stretch of silence. Payson was about to ask if there was anyone there when a gravelly, female voice finally came through._

"_Who is this?" the woman demanded._

"_Jeffrey's wife. He left his phone at home, but I can get him a message, or I can give you his office number if you need to get a hold of him," Payson offered._

"_I…I'm sorry."_

_Payson frowned as the line went dead. Sorry for what? Pulling the phone away from her ear, she glanced at the screen. The woman's face smiled back at her, saved as "Rebecca." Payson wracked her brain, trying to think of any time Jeffrey mentioned a Rebecca. _

_Something gnawing at her conscience made her look through Jeffrey's call history; Rebecca's name appeared at least once every day._

_Payson immediately wanted to undo it, to go back and just let his phone go to voicemail. Her heart sank and though her mind screamed at her to walk away from the phone, her fingers went to his pictures of their own accord. Flicking through the saved photos, she saw at least a hundred pictures of him and this Rebecca woman, kissing, cuddling, and being romantic. In one, they were clearly in bed. _

_Payson's hand started to tremble, and she scrolled through Jeffrey's contacts until she reached his office number. She waited as it rang and he answered in a harried voice. She knew he would be annoyed that she was calling in the middle of a day when he was too busy to even remember his phone, but she couldn't wait another moment to hear what he had to say. Even if the thought made her nauseous. _

"_What?" he snapped. _

"_Rebecca called." Payson forced herself to say. "Come home. Now."_

_It took Jeffery an hour to get home, even though his office was only fifteen minutes away, and when he walked in the door he tried to act like nothing was wrong. Payson could see in his eyes that it was all for show. _

"_How long?" she asked. _

"_What do you mean?" Jeffery replied lightly, his voice a little too high pitched. Payson clenched her fist and made a grab for the phone. _

"_How long, Jeffery?" Payson hissed, tossing the phone at him. Jeffery scrambled to catch it and then his eyes went wide when he saw the picture Payson had pulled up. _

"_You went through my phone?" he asked. _

"_Don't you dare make this my fault! How long?"_

"_Almost three years."_

_Payson doubled over, feeling the breath leave her chest. She gasped, trying to suck in air, but all she could feel was the weight of her husband's infidelity on her sternum. _

"_The entire time Harper's been alive?" Payson gasped. Jeffery nodded. "So while I was up all day and all night with a brand new baby and you were "working late," you were really screwing her?"_

"_Yes."_

_Payson was at an absolute loss for words. Her husband was standing in their living room telling her that he'd been cheating on her for three years and he didn't even seem that sorry about it. He wasn't begging for forgiveness or apologizing, he was just staring at her, waiting for her reaction. _

_Her marriage was over._

_#_

"He's a bloody fool, Payson," Sasha whispered, reaching out to brush his fingers over her shoulder. She pressed her lips into a thin line and felt them tremble as she shook her head.

"I don't care," she insisted. Sasha's fingers curled around her shoulder, holding tightly and he leaned forward so he could meet her eyes.

"It's okay to care. You were married to the wanker for almost five years, and he hurt you. It's okay to care."

"I don't want to care, I just want to move on with my life," Payson groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Do you have a plan?" Sasha asked. He knew Payson always felt better when she had a plan she could attack.

"No. I just needed to get away, I thought I'd figure out a plan later," Payson said. For a moment, Sasha just stared at her, a gaze so intense it made her want to disappear inside herself.

"I need a gym manager," he finally said. Payson's head snapped up to meet his gaze.

"What?"

"A manager, for The Rock. The mom who was doing it just had a baby and I haven't been able to find anyone else. It's the perfect arrangement," Sasha insisted. Payson shook her head, laughing.

"I haven't been in a gym with elite athletes since…the Olympics. I mean, we had a gym built at the house in L.A. so I could still work out, but that's totally different."

"Payson, please. For me, do it for me. To help out your old coach," Sasha begged. He reached for Payson's free hand and gave her fingers a squeeze. Payson sat back, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it." Sasha sat back with a cocky smile.

"Brilliant. Now, you should get some sleep, you've had a long day," Sasha said, as if she needed reminding. Smiling, she stood up and set her glass of wine on the table.

"Goodnight, Sasha. And thank you, again."

"Goodnight, Payson."

#

Sasha stayed up for a few more hours to get some paperwork done, until he could hardly hold his eyes open any more. Part of him didn't want to go to sleep, for fear he would wake up and Payson would be just a dream, but he knew that if he didn't sleep he would be useless in the gym.

He moved to the linen closet for a blanket, passing by his bedroom. The door was open just a crack, and he could hear Payson breathing softly. It was weird, and probably crossing a line, but he pushed the door open a little bit more and peeked inside. Payson was sleeping on her side, her hand resting gently over Harper's stomach. The sight made his heart ache.

She should have been his.

_#_

_Boulder, CO- 5 years ago_

_Sasha knocked softly on the heavy wooden door, waiting for someone to open it. After barely a heartbeat it was yanked open and he was greeted with Becca Keeler's smiling face._

"_Sasha," she said in surprise. _

"_Mind if I come in to wish the bride well?" Sasha asked, giving her his most charming smile. Becca glanced over her shoulder._

"_Can Sasha come in?" She asked someone, he guessed Payson._

"_Of course!" Kim cried. Apparently, he had guessed wrong. Becca opened the door the rest of the way and stepped aside to let Sasha by. _

"_Okay everyone, let's give Payson and Sasha a moment," Kim suggested, ushering Kaylie, Emily, Becca, and Kelly out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Sasha finally looked at Payson. _

_She was stunning. More than stunning, she took his breath away in her simple, elegant white wedding dress that glowed against her lightly tanned skin. He took a breath and offered her a smile._

"_Sasha," she said. She crossed the room quickly and threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. Sasha froze for a split second before setting his hands on her waist. It wasn't enough, though, and he slowly skimmed his hands around her waist and up her back until he was returning her embrace just as tightly. _

"_Payson, I wanted to tell you…" Sasha started. _

"_Do I look okay?" Payson asked as she stepped back. Her hands traveled down the length of his arms, the heat radiating from her palms nearly scorching him, until they were holding hands. He held her hands out to take another look at her and gave her a playful spin. She laughed, letting her head fall back and twirling into him. He laughed too._

"_You look incredible, Payson. Jeffrey is a lucky man," Sasha said. "I…"_

"_Can you believe I'm getting married?" Payson asked, giddy, as she turned to the mirror. Sasha sighed and nodded._

"_I'm so happy for you," Sasha said. The door opened and Kim poked her head inside. _

"_Pay, honey? We need you for some pictures now," Kim said._

"_Sure, Mom, one second," Payson agreed. Kim ducked back out and Payson turned to Sasha, still smiling._

"_Save me a dance?" Payson asked, batting her eyelashes. Sasha was pretty certain she didn't even realize she was doing it._

"_Of course," Sasha promised. He stepped closer, taking her face in his hands and lightly caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. Then he leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. _

_Sasha watched as Payson hurried out to join her wedding party, the door clicking shut behind her, and ignored the pain in his chest. It wasn't time, not yet. _

"_I love you, Payson Keeler."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Happy MIOBI Monday! And, for me at least, happy first day of summer vacation (even though its snowing here in Michigan and not feeling like summer at all)! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of my new fic, more are to come! I'm planning on updating once a week because I do need to actually work, as well write some of my own, original stuff.

PLEASE review! It's super important with these early chapters that people review if they can because I need to know how the story is being received. It isn't too late to do some tweaking to the overall story now if you guys don't love it, but it might be later so the earlier you tell me what's working and what isn't, the better! Oh, and I know that some people are not that fond of flashbacks, and I promise they are only in the first couple of chapters.

That little button just below here...you should click it. Just sayin'.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Last Worthless Evening**

"_This is the last worthless evening / that you'll have to spend / Cause I'll be there / When your broken heart is on the mend."_

"You know I have no idea how to be a gym manager, right?" Payson asked as she and Sasha walked into The Rock on Monday morning. Sasha laughed, following her up the stairs to the office. He noticed that she moved almost on autopilot, like she hadn't been away for years.

"You watched your mom do it, didn't you? You just…do paperwork, make travel arrangements and set up fundraisers. You'll be fine," Sasha assured her. Payson rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's that simple. When everything falls apart, don't say I didn't warn you."

Sasha laughed and left her to her own devices as the gymnasts started trickling in. Payson took a moment to look around the office and saw that it really hadn't changed a bit; it was still set up the same way it had been, and Payson felt like she'd stepped five years into the past.

She spent the morning familiarizing herself with the filing system and the computers, as well as the files of all the girls training at The Rock. The files were unorganized to Payson; the athlete files were alphabetized, but beyond that there was no rhyme or reason to how they were filed.

Grabbing a stack of folders so that she could demonstrate to Sasha her ideas, Payson left the office for the floor.

"I'm changing everything," Payson said bluntly as she wandered up to Sasha, her eyes on the files in her hands. She looked up to see Sasha smiling at her and several parents staring.

"Who's this, Sasha?" One woman asked.

"This is our new gym manager. Let me introduce her to everyone at once," Sasha said. He gently grabbed Payson's elbow and led her up the stairs to the little platform outside the office. "Gather round!"

The gymnasts came trotting over, looking up at her. She saw recognition dawn on several of the gymnasts' faces, but many of them were too young to really remember what she looked like, especially in an unexpected situation and with six years growth. She knew her body was different, curvier, and her face was a little softer. Her hair was shorter too, and she obviously wasn't wearing the same heavy make-up she'd worn in competition, making her look like a totally different person.

"We have a new gym manager, and I expect you all to welcome her and treat her with respect. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Payson Keeler."

There were gasps from the gymnasts who hadn't already recognized her and Payson gave them all a small smile.

"Give me just another minute with the parents, and then you can tell me all about how you're going to change everything," Sasha promised. Payson watched as he moved away and then went to stand at the edge of the mats, watching as the gymnasts started their training.

"Um, Ms. Keeler?" Payson turned to see a young girl, maybe fourteen, twisting her hands together.

"Call me Payson," she said. The girl smiled nervously.

"I was wondering, maybe, if you could help me for a second? I'm working on a Yurchenko on vault, and I can't quite get it. My sister always says yours was perfect."

"Sure. What's your name?" Payson asked, following the girl across the gym to the vault.

"Annabelle."

"Okay, Annabelle, let's see it."

#

Sasha couldn't help but stare at Payson as he watched her coaching Annabelle; she was a natural, mild mannered but commanding at the same time. He saw that spark back in her eyes, the spark he used to see every time she stepped onto the mat, one that he hadn't seen when she was sitting on his couch two nights ago.

"So, these changes you're going to make?" Sasha asked as he moved to stand next to her. She jumped a little.

"Oh, yeah. Okay. Good job Annabelle, keep working." Payson fell into step next to Sasha and showed him the files.

"It would be a lot easier to find files if they were color coded and tabbed by subject, and then alphabetized," Payson explained.

"That's fine. Do whatever you like," Sasha said. He sat down at his desk, pulling up his email and surreptitiously watching Payson. The grace she'd learned to apply to gymnastics after her injury had carried over into her adult life; she sailed around the room, almost like her feet never even touched the floor. She moved with such purpose, and he couldn't help but watch.

"You're staring," Payson said a little while later. Sasha felt the heat rise in his cheeks and he smiled at her.

"Sorry. Just trying to make sure you don't mess everything up," he teased. He fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "You're a natural, you know."

"At what?" Payson asked distractedly, transferring several files into a new folder.

"Coaching. Annabelle made more progress on that vault with you in five minutes than she did in an entire day with Tara."

"It was nothing," Payson said, shrugging.

"It was not nothing. You have a way with them, Payson," Sasha insisted. "What if I made a coaching position for you? I could always use another pair of hands on the floor, and Jake will probably be retiring soon anyway."

"I thought I was your gym manager?" Payson joked. Sasha glared.

"Don't get cheeky, or I won't give you any job," Sasha said, laughing a little bit. "I can find a gym manager anywhere. I can't find a world class coach anywhere but right here."

"I don't know, Sasha," Payson sighed. "It seems…"

"Come on. Please."

"Sasha…"

"Payson."

"Okay, fine," Payson groaned, knowing it was no use arguing with Sasha when he'd made up his mind. "When you find another gym manager, I'll be a coach."

"Good. I'll leave you to it." Sasha ducked out of the office, unable to keep the smile off his face.

#

Over the next two days, Payson and Sasha fell into an easy routine, one that made Sasha wonder how his life would have been if he'd had the courage to tell Payson how he felt, all those years ago. He enjoyed having a woman in his home, although maybe it was just Payson, and she and Harper brought so much life to his days.

Sasha knew it had to end sometime, Mark and Kim couldn't stay on vacation forever, but he wasn't quite ready for it when Payson told him her parents were back in Boulder.

"My parents flew back into town this morning, so do you mind running Harper and me over there this evening?" Payson asked as he walked into the office. She barely even glanced up from the folder in her hands. He faltered, wondering what she would think if he begged her to stay.

"Uh…no. Not at all. We can swing past my apartment after we pick up Harper to gather your things and then I'll take you…home." He fought past the catch in his throat when he said the word "home" and prayed she didn't notice it.

"Thanks," she replied distractedly. Sasha spent another moment watching her, hunched over the paperwork in her lap, her hair thrown into a messy bun, and the top of her pen caught between her teeth, and then slipped back out to the floor.

The rest of the afternoon passed by quickly, though Sasha had willed it not to, and before he knew it, all the gymnasts were gone and Payson was waiting by the door, an expectant look on her face.

"Ready?" The way she looked at him made him think she could probably feel his reluctance. He'd held two of his gymnasts at least half an hour later than he usually would, just to keep Payson with him a little longer. Sasha knew that he would still see her every day, but it would be different than having her living in his house.

"Yeah, let's go," he said, a little forlorn.

They drove halfway across town to the only daycare Payson could find that she was happy with and picked up Harper, who ran screaming for Payson as soon as she saw her Mommy through the window. Then they drove back to Sasha's apartment, Harper babbling happily in the back seat, and loaded up their bags. After that, it was off to the Keeler house they went.

Sasha hadn't seen Mark or Kim in a long time, probably since Payson's wedding, though he and Kim had been exchanging emails over the last few years and he was excited to see the woman who had become his friend in Payson's years at the Rock.

"My mom is going to be happy to see you," Payson said as they pulled up outside. "She says you never come by anymore."

"I've been busy. At The Rock," Sasha said half-heartedly. Payson rolled her eyes.

"Right. So very busy at The Rock."

"Maybe I'll start coming 'round more," he said, glancing at Payson for her reaction.

"She'd like that."

Payson unbuckled Harper and set her on her feet, giving her a gentle push in the direction of the front door. The tot started running across the front lawn, screaming happily about grandma and grandpa, and Sasha quickly pulled Payson's suitcase out of the back so they could follow.

The door flew open and Kim appeared, beaming as she scooped Harper into her arms.

"Oh, my girls are home!" Kim cried, hugging her granddaughter tightly and then passing her off to Mark before practically tackling Payson.

"Sasha, good to see you," Mark said, pulling Sasha's eyes away from Payson.

"Mark. How was your trip?" Mark smiled and glanced towards Kim, which told Sasha all he needed to know.

"Sasha! Thank you so much for taking care of Payson these last few days," Kim said, as she and Payson came to stand next to them. Harper toddled in between the four of them, pushing around Mark's legs to get inside the house.

"Anytime," Sasha replied. He glanced towards his truck and thought about how best to make a smooth getaway. So much time lingering around Payson, knowing he'd have to leave her there, was gnawing at his stomach.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? It would be nice to catch up," Kim said, sticking her bottom lip out a little in a pleading look. Sasha looked to Payson, meeting her eyes.

"Please stay, Sasha. I've been taking over your apartment for days, the least we could do is feed you," she whispered, smiling tentatively. He was lost.

"I'd love to."

Kim ushered everyone inside, Mark and Sasha taking Payson's bags to her old room and Payson going straight for Harper, who was doing her best to climb up the bookcase and grab a small figurine. Kim went for the oven, pulling out a delicious smelling lasagna.

"Sasha, I really can't thank you enough for letting Payson stay with you," Kim said from the kitchen. He watched as Payson pulled out plates, handing him a stack, and then gathered silverware to set out.

"It's really no problem."

"Did she tell you…?" Kim asked carefully, glancing at Payson, who nodded.

"I told him, Mom," Payson sighed. Kim shook her head.

"I'm just so…mad. Jeffrey had everyone fooled," Kim hissed, cutting into the lasagna with a little more force than necessary.

"Everyone except Sasha," Mark said, appearing from Payson's room. Sasha frowned to himself as Payson's head snapped towards him.

"What are you talking about?" Payson asked. Sasha sighed.

#

_New York City, 2012 - 6 months post Olympics_

"_Sasha!" He turned to see Payson gliding towards him in a long, silver dress that sparkled with every swing of her hips. He smiled and reached out to pull her into a hug, breathing in deeply. She smelled like home; familiar and comforting. _

"_Payson, so good to see you." Payson pulled back, keeping her hands on his shoulders and smiling brightly. He couldn't help but smile back, her mood was contagious like that._

"_I want you to meet someone," Payson said excitedly. Her hands drifted down his arms until one of her hands clasped around his, and then she was urging him across the crowded room. Sasha glanced at all the gymnastics big-wigs surrounding them; Ellen Beals and Marcus, Marty, several other big name coaches and NGO officials. He hated gymnastics publicity events, but Kim had told him that Payson would be there, and he was sold. _

"_Who's this mystery person I'm supposed to meet?" Sasha asked, laughing. He and Payson were closing in on the bar, where there were only a few people sitting. Payson stopped behind one, a blonde haired man that could have been him from behind, and slid her hand over his neck. _

"_Jeffrey," she said. The man set down his drink and turned to them, one hand going to Payson's hip._

"_Hey baby," he said. Sasha's jaw tightened as he watched Jeffrey touch Payson with an intimacy he hadn't wanted to associate with any of his gymnasts, least of all the one he was in love with. _

"_Sasha, this is my boyfriend Jeffrey. Jeffrey, this is my coach," Payson introduced. Sasha offered his hand politely, though it almost caused him physical pain._

"_Pleasure," he managed to grind out between clenched teeth._

"_Same." Payson smiled between the two and then someone, it sounded like Emily, called her name. _

"_Okay, you two get to know each other. I'll be right back." Payson disappeared, leaving Sasha and Jeffrey to stare at each other. _

"_So, how long have you and Payson been dating?" Sasha asked, even though he didn't want to hear the answer._

"_Since just after the Olympics, so six months I guess," Jeffrey responded, his eyes following someone across the room. Sasha turned to see where Payson was headed now, but she was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Jeffrey's eyes were glued to Lauren as she sashayed through the crowd in a barely-there mini dress. He frowned._

"_And how did you meet? It's funny she hasn't mentioned you before now," Sasha said, hoping Jeffrey would realize it as the jab it was supposed to be._

"_I'm a talent agent. Payson was at a premier for one of my client's films a month or so before the Olympics and we started chatting. Things went from there I guess."_

_Payson reappeared then and Jeffrey whisked her off to dance, leaving Sasha staring at the space where she'd been. He ordered a Scotch, he'd need it if he had to watch Jeffrey touch Payson all night, and then leaned back against the bar to survey the room._

"_They grow up fast, huh?" Marty said as he came to stand next to Sasha, ordering a drink of his own._

"_You got that right, mate," Sasha sighed. Marty followed Sasha's gaze to where it was resting on Payson as she moved easily in Jeffrey's arms. _

"_That Payson's boyfriend?" _

"_Yes. I don't like him…his eyes have been straying all night," Sasha grumbled. _

"_You think he's gonna break her heart?" Marty asked. _

"_Yes."_

"_You know she's eventually going to ask you what you think of him," Marty reminded him. "What are you going to say?"_

"_I can't very well lie to her, can I?"_

"_You can't tell her the truth either. She's a young girl, man, she's going to get her heart broken. Best not to alienate her now, so you can be there to pick up the pieces later."_

_Together they watched their gymnast dance with Jeffrey until she was pulled away for some publicity photos with the rest of the Olympic team. Sasha almost couldn't stand how happy she looked, leaning in to kiss Jeffrey and laughing as her teammates dragged her away. She was so open, much less guarded than she had been when she was training at The Rock, but Sasha didn't think it had anything to do with Jeffrey. At least he hoped it didn't. _

_Jeffrey came back to the bar, but not his previous spot. Instead he wandered up to a striking brunette, ordering a drink and smiling at her. Sasha nearly growled as he caught sight of the brunette slipping her phone number into Jeffrey's jacket pocket. He set his drink down on the bar with a little more force than was necessary and started for the wanker. _

"_Sasha," Marty warned. _

"_What? I won't hit him," Sasha promised. And he wouldn't; Jeffrey would probably find a way to make Payson mad at Sasha instead of letting her find out why he'd hit him, so Sasha was going to keep his fists to himself. For now. _

"_Mr. Belov," Jeffrey said flatly. "Payson's over there."_

"_I'm not looking for Payson. Excuse us, Miss." Sasha grabbed Jeffrey by the arm, pulling him towards the corner of the room where they were less likely to be noticed. _

"_What the hell are you doing?" Jeffrey hissed, yanking his arm away._

"_Just having a friendly chat," Sasha said lightly. Then he narrowed his eyes at Jeffrey."I know you think I'm just Payson's old coach, but I probably know her better than anyone at this point, and I know that right now she's blind to what you're doing."_

"_And what exactly is it that I'm doing?"_

"_You know what you're doing, and if what you're doing ever causes Payson even one moment of heartache, you'll have me to deal with. Got it, mate?" Sasha said, doing his best to intimidate the man. _

"_Well, aren't you just her knight in shining armor? I've got Payson taken care of, don't you worry," Jeffrey said, tossing Sasha a snarky smile. "See you around, Coach."_

_#_

Sasha had been watching the color slowly drain from Payson's face as he relayed the encounter with Jeffrey and it made his heart hurt. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain.

"And how did you know about this, Dad? You weren't even at that event," Payson said softly, her eyes unfocused.

"Marty sent me an email, said that I might want to keep Sasha and Jeffrey away from one another," Mark answered. Payson turned her gaze back to Sasha.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have listened?" Payson paused, seeming to deflate as her shoulders rolled forward and her back hunched.

"No."

"That's what I thought."

#

"Thank you for dinner, but I really need to be going," Sasha said after his second cup of post-dessert coffee. Payson was amazed at how smoothly the rest of dinner had gone, after Sasha told her that her husband had probably been cheating on her before they were even engaged. She'd felt duped, but reminded herself that it wasn't Sasha's fault. And once her mother had steered the conversation in a more neutral direction, the evening had actually been a lot of fun. Payson hadn't realized how much she missed Sasha's constant presence in her life until she had it back.

"I'll walk you out," Payson said, standing and following Sasha down the hallway. They both moved slowly, unwilling to leave each other.

"Thanks for staying, I know it made my mom really happy," Payson said. She didn't want to tell him that it also made her really happy. "And I know I've said this a million times already, but thank you for letting Harper and I stay with you." Sasha opened the door and let her through first before pulling it shut behind him.

"I enjoyed it," Sasha said. "Payson…I'm glad you're back. Whatever the circumstances."

"Thank you. You didn't have to help me out, but you did. You've always come through for me Sasha."

Payson felt like a sap saying that, even though it was all true. Her parents aside, no one had ever stood by her so staunchly as Sasha, and she thought it was important that he know that. Sasha leaned towards her and then back, like he'd changed his mind about something. Then he leaned in again and slowly brushed his lips over her cheek.

"Goodnight, Payson."

Payson frowned at the thrill that went through her as his breath tickled her ear. As he walked towards his truck, she reached up and traced the spot on her cheek that still burned from the touch of his lips.

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: HOLY COW! You guys are incredible! Twenty reviews in one chapter is absolutely, without a doubt the highest number of reviews I've ever gotten for a single chapter of anything. I can't even explain how happy I was to see all of them! Thank you to xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, PSawyer22, als, justxsmile, iheartcam, shekinah, JacenLukeSolo, BlueSkyHigh, Lemurqueen, Elli-Wyatt, kdhansen22, Ida-cullen, JCI, Katie, BearyFunny66, Holliday Girl, mnmgirl, crazylady789, and AndromedaJane for your reviews! **

**I hope you all enjoy Chapter 2, and that you're all having a happy Easter! Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Not Gon' Cry**

"_Wasted my years a fool of a wife / I shoulda left your ass a long time ago"_

"Morning, Sasha," Payson said as she sailed into the office early the next week, a cardboard drink holder and two large cups of coffee in her hands.

"Morning." Payson looked at him for the first time and noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the longer-than-usual stubble on his cheeks, and the wrinkles in his clothes.

"Did you sleep here?" Payson asked.

"Yes," Sasha said, groaning. Payson shook her head and pursed her lips. He shouldn't be sleeping in his office when he had a perfectly respectable apartment practically across the damn street.

"Why on earth did you do that?" she demanded.

"Because…I just did," Sasha said, glancing quickly at her. His eyes begged her to drop it, so she did.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I brought us both coffee. Here."

Sasha took the coffee and sipped it carefully while Payson booted up her computer. She could feel his eyes on her, tracking her as she moved around the office gathering paperwork she'd need for the first bit of her day, and it made her shiver.

"What?" she asked.

"Where are you planning to live?" Sasha asked after a moment.

"A house. I've been a little too busy to start looking, though," Payson said, gesturing around the room.

"If you want help looking, a second opinion, I'd be more than happy to go with you," Sasha offered. Payson smiled, oddly touched.

"Sure. I thought about going on Sunday, since it's our only day off," Payson laughed. Sasha nodded.

"It's a date," he said. Then, taking another sip of his coffee, he ducked out of the office and left his words echoing in Payson's head.

_It's a date._

#

"You are such an idiot," Payson muttered to herself. Looking in her mirror, she fixed her hair for about the hundredth time, trying to make sure it looked just right. She felt like she was sixteen all over again, getting ready for the ballet and trying not to think about kissing her coach. But she wasn't sixteen, and she had no intention of kissing Sasha. So, why was she so…twitterpated?

Finally Payson forced herself to stop primping and grabbed her purse, heading for the living room. She scooped Harper into her arms on her way out, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You gonna be okay with Grandma while Mommy goes to look at a house?" Payson asked, running her fingers of Harper's hair.

"Yes Mommy," Harper replied.

"Morning Mom," Payson said as she set Harper down. Kim looked up from the newspaper and smiled.

"Morning Pay. When's Sasha getting here?"

"A few minutes. Call if Harper needs anything, okay?" Payson said as she rummaged through her purse to make sure her phone was actually there.

"We'll be just fine," Kim said. "Won't we baby?"

Harper barely paid her grandma any attention as she started "making breakfast" at her little play kitchen, and Payson laughed. Finally the doorbell rang, making Payson nearly jump out of her skin. Kim gave her a look, that special Kim look that said she knew something was up with her daughter and was going to relentlessly dig it out of her, but Payson hurried away before she got the chance.

"Bye!" Payson squeaked.

"Where's the fire?" Sasha asked, chuckling, as Payson ran past him and jumped into the truck.

"Hmm? Oh, nowhere. Let's go." Sasha climbed in and started the engine, then turned the truck towards Mapleton Hill, the neighborhood Payson was looking at.

"So what's this one like?" Sasha asked. Payson knew he was trying to ease the tension that had appeared between them in the last few days, and she silently thanked him for it.

"It seems nice; four bedrooms, three bathrooms, twenty-six hundred square feet. It has a detached garage, which I'm not wild about, but it isn't a deal breaker."

"Not too big for just you and Harper?" Sasha asked. Payson shrugged.

"No. I want to have space for people who want to come visit, and who knows what will happen in the future." They pulled up to the house and Sasha killed the engine. It was quaint; grey stucco with white trim. Cute enough, but Payson wasn't in love with it yet.

"Come on, let's have a look inside," Sasha said. He came around and opened Payson's door, a gesture that actually made her blush for the first time in years, and then closed the door behind her. Payson checked her watch to make sure they weren't early, and then went to the front door and knocked. A real estate agent opened the door, a wide, forced smile on her face.

"Good morning! You must be Payson," she said loudly. Payson almost winced. "I'm Betsy, the listing agent for this house. Come on in!"

Payson smiled over her shoulder at Sasha, who was trying to hold in his laughter and he winked at her as he followed her inside. The living room was pretty open and warm with hardwood floors and a tannish-yellow color on the walls. Lots of big furniture made the space feel smaller than it probably was, but it was nice.

"This is the living room, complete with a nice fireplace for those chilly Boulder winters," Betsy said, laughing a little. They passed a dining…nook that was much too small for Payson's liking.

"And here we have the kitchen. Great new appliances, marble counter tops…" The kitchen was nice, with an island stove and a hanging vent fan, but she didn't love the see-through cabinet doors. The whole thing looked like an Ikea catalog.

"Do you two have any kids?"

"What?" Payson asked, her voice verging on a shriek. She heard Sasha snort behind her.

"Kids," Betsy repeated. "Do you have any?"

"Uh, I have a daughter. This isn't…Sasha is just a friend," Payson finished lamely. Betsy's eyes went wide and she nodded.

"I see. Well, there's a room upstairs that can be converted into a playroom if you like. Come on, I'll show you."

They went through the rest of the house, Betsy stopping in each room to extol its virtues and point out little things she thought Payson might like. Over-all, Payson wasn't in love with the house. She had lofty visions of the home she wanted in Boulder, and she knew maybe it was a little crazy to expect that she would find it already built and for sale, but she wanted to try. After buying a house in Los Angeles with Jeffrey, one that was ultra-modern and even a little cold, she wanted someplace warm and inviting, but spacious. A house that felt like home, not a museum.

"Well thank you. I'll give you a call and let you know," Payson said, trying to hurry out the door. Sasha paused behind her.

"What's the asking price?" he asked. Payson rolled her eyes.

"One point six," Betsy said. Sasha made a strangled noise in his throat and Payson saw his eyes bug out a little.

"Oh. Well thank you." As soon as they were back in the car, Sasha turned to her. "Payson, you are twenty four years old, what are you doing looking at a one point six million dollar house?"

"Sasha, I am worth about thirty times that. The sponsors were good to me, especially after I swept all six golds in London, not to mention that a divorce settlement with Jeffrey would pay for the house in cash, plus at least ten year's worth of property taxes. I'm not hurting for money," Payson explained. Usually she was uncomfortable talking about the fact that at just twenty four she was a multi-millionaire, but she knew Sasha had experienced the same thing when he was coming off an Olympic win.

"I just…hadn't realized, I suppose. Although I should have."

"Come on, I've got more houses to see."

They saw four more houses, each one worse than the last, at least in Payson's mind. She wasn't finding a single house that she could imagine calling home for her and Harper. Payson was exhausted, and it was only noon.

"This one looks nice," Sasha said as they pulled up outside the sixth and final house of the day. Payson had to admit, it was a beautiful house. Situated in the middle of the University Hill neighborhood, it was a little closer to the university than she wanted, but it was gorgeous; mostly made of large stones and light tan stucco, it felt warm already.

"It does," she said. "How many bedrooms?"

"Four, and four bathrooms." They climbed out and ventured inside. The real estate agent, Janet, was much more relaxed than some of the others they'd dealt with and she let Payson and Sasha explore on their own.

"I think I found my house," Payson whispered as they wandered through. Much of the main floor was hardwood, with wood trim and light cream walls, very inviting. The master suite had its own fireplace, a balcony off the back of the house, and a closet that could have been another bedroom. The second bedroom down the hall was perfect for Harper, and Payson knew that when she was a teenager, she'd love it even more.

"It's beautiful," Sasha agreed. Payson didn't notice that he was looking right at her.

#

"I really hope the owners accept my offer," Payson babbled as Sasha drove them back to the Keeler house after lunch. She felt giddy, like she couldn't stop smiling.

"It's a good offer," Sasha said. Payson was about to respond when they turned the corner onto her street. What she saw erased her good mood in an instant.

Jeffrey's Porsche 911 Carrera was parked outside her parents' house.

"Wow," Sasha said, whistling low. Payson resisted the urge to tell him to keep driving.

"That would be my husband's car," Payson said, reaching for the door handle.

"Do you want me to stay?" Sasha asked carefully, eyeing the car as Jeffrey climbed out of it.

"No, it's fine. I'll see you in the morning."

Jeffrey leaned back against the hood of the Porsche, waiting for Payson. Sasha reached across the console, catching Payson's hand as she stepped out.

"If you need me, I'm just a phone call away," he promised. Payson nodded, looking him in the eye and squeezing his fingers.

"Thank you."

Payson watched Sasha drive away, disappearing around the corner before she approached Jeffrey. He looked angry, probably because he assumed what everyone else did: that Payson and Sasha were together. Honestly, at that point she didn't care if he thought she was sleeping with her former coach.

"What are you doing here?" Payson asked. Jeffrey started towards the house.

"Can we go inside? Your Dad made me wait out here until you got home; I've been here for two hours," Jeffrey said, verging on whining. Payson arched an eyebrow.

"No." Jeffrey frowned at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Pay, I want you to come home. I miss you." Payson fought the urge to slap him. She almost did, taking a step forward and reaching out before catching herself and clenching her fist. She pointed at him instead, poking her finger into his chest.

"Don't." Jeffrey caught her by the wrist, keeping her from backing away.

"Payson…"

"She wasn't the first, was she?" Payson said, thinking over what Sasha had told her about the first time he met Jeffrey. He looked away, guiltily. "I knew it. How many?"

"Four or five, but I've been with Rebecca the longest." Payson snorts, feeling all the breath leave her lungs.

"You're still with her? And you're here asking me to come home?" Payson asked, her voice shrill.

"I…Payson I'm not the monogamous type," he sighed. Payson laughed, hysterical laughter bubbling up from inside of her. She laughed so hard, tears started leaking from her eyes and she had to force air into her lungs.

"You're…not…the…monogamous…type," she repeated through her laughter. She doubled over, hands on her knees, and tried to catch her breath.

"Payson…"

"Don't you think that's something I needed to know _before_ we got married?" Payson demanded. Jeffrey shrugged.

"I lov…"

"Stop it. Don't you dare say you love me. I want a divorce, Jeffrey, so you had better find yourself a lawyer." Jeffrey's face hardened.

"I already have one. Do you?"

#

"Pay, can you run to the grocery store for me? Your father insisted we had condensed milk, but we don't," Kim called from the kitchen, where she was baking. It was Kim's go-to comfort ritual, one Payson had always loved, and desperately needed after her encounter with her soon-to-be ex.

"Sure, Mom. Harper, want to come to the store with Mommy?" Payson asked. Harper jumped up and grabbed her purse, one that had been Payson's when she was a teenager. Harper had found it in Payson's closet, buried with a bunch of her old clothing, and hadn't let it out of her sight since.

"Yes!" Payson followed Harper out to the Lexus and waited while she buckled herself into her car seat. "I saw Daddy today."

Payson almost slammed on the brakes in surprise. She knew that her father had forced Jeffrey to stay outside, but no one had said anything about Harper seeing him.

"You did?" Payson asked, trying to stay calm as she navigated the Lexus out of the driveway.

"I saw him out the window. He looked mad," Harper said. "Why is he mad?"

"Because he has to go to work while you and I get to play with grandma and grandpa," Payson lied. She wasn't ready to explain things to Harper, so she was going with the 'we're on vacation' lie. It seemed to work, at least for now.

The grocery store was crowded, as it usually was on a Sunday afternoon. Since she only needed one thing, she decided on carrying Harper and forgoing a cart, even though Harper begged and begged to ride in the "basket."

Payson had almost found the condensed milk when she heard her name being called.

"Payson?" Payson would recognize that chipper voice anywhere.

"Summer, hi."

"Oh, is this your daughter?" Summer asked, waving at Harper. The former Rock manager hadn't changed even a little bit, except for the large, sparkly diamond on her left ring finger.

"Yes, this is Harper. Harper, this is Mommy's friend Summer."

"She's adorable! So, how are you? Back in Boulder for a visit?" Summer asked, smiling broadly.

"Uh…sure." Payson saw Summer's eyes tick to her ring finger and widen slightly when she noticed the very conspicuous lack of a wedding ring.

"Payson, is everything okay?" Payson knew that well-meaning Summer would never let it go if she suspected that Payson might need help, or comfort, or a sermon, so she turned to Harper.

"Hands over your ears, baby." Harper dutifully clapped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. "My husband and I are getting a divorce."

"Oh I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Thank you, but no. I'm sorry, I really need to get back to my parents' house," Payson said. She turned to Harper and smiled, tapping her nose lightly. "Say bye to Summer, baby."

"Bye!"

#

"Why does she always have to get in everyone else's business?" Payson ranted the next day, pacing around the office.

"Who are we talking about?" Sasha asked, confusion written all over his face.

"Summer Van Horn! I ran into her at the grocery store yesterday and ended up telling her about Jeffrey and I, and I could just feel her judging me. Clearly she doesn't believe in divorce, but why should she care? It's my life," Payson growled. More than anything she was irritated with herself for giving up the fight so easily. She could have been stronger and kept her mouth shut in front of Summer, but she didn't want to give the woman an excuse to meddle any further in her life, which would probably happen no matter what she said.

"It's actually Summer Tanner now," Sasha said.

"What?"

"Summer and Steve Tanner got married a couple of years ago," Sasha explained. Payson grimaced.

"Ew."

"Why don't you run conditioning this morning, coach?" Sasha suggested with a smirk. Payson rolled her eyes.

"I'm not "Coach" just yet, you still have to find another gym manager," she said. But she left the office anyway.

Payson put the gymnasts through the wringer with conditioning; they were going to hate her eventually, they might even come to think of Sasha as the easy one, but she knew that in the end they would thank her for it.

"Payson," Annabelle moaned, crawling over to where Payson was standing. "Aren't we done yet?"

"One more circuit, and then you're done," Payson promised, laughing a little as Annabelle groaned again. Then the gymnast shot to her feet, standing straight and tall, her eyes wide. "Annabelle?"

"Isn't that the guy who like…started The Rock?" Payson frowned and looked over her shoulder, towards the main door.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Payson hissed. Steve Tanner was standing at the edge of the mats, staring at her. When he caught her looking, he jerked his head towards the office and started up the stairs.

"One more circuit, then Sasha will be out to tell you what you're working on today," she said to the gymnasts. Then she trudged towards the office.

"Payson, good to see you," Steve said as she walked in. Sasha sat in his chair, glaring.

"Yeah. What do you want?" Payson asked bluntly. Steve's gaze ticked to Sasha and he frowned.

"This might be better discussed in private," Steve said. Payson rolled her eyes but looked to Sasha anyway, raising her eyebrows. His eyes narrowed, but he shoved his chair back and stalked out.

"Okay, now we're in private. What do you want?"

"Summer told me about your divorce. Do you have an attorney yet?"Steve asked. Payson frowned.

"No," she said carefully. In the instant she admitted that, she remembered that besides being a pain in the ass, Steve's job was to win Boulder's biggest legal battles.

"Good. Then I'd like to take your case…pro bono."

Payson heard the term pro bono and wanted to scream. Even if she couldn't pay for his services, Payson Keeler did not accept handouts and the idea that Steve though he could use her to boost his community service was infuriating.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no. One, I am not your newest charity case, and two, why would I ever put something this important in your hands after everything you did while I was training here?" Payson scoffed. She sort of did want to know how he would justify that.

"Think about it. Everything I did while you were here…it was to win something, to get my way. If you let me handle your divorce, your way and my way would be the same thing. Look, I know I've done some not-so-savory things, but this time they would all be to your benefit. There's a reason I haven't ever lost a case, Payson, or ended up with less than everything my client wanted," Steve explained. Payson had to admit he was right.

"Why do you want to take my case so badly?" Payson asked.

"After everything that happened, the things Lauren and I did…I kind of owe you one, don't I?" Steve asked. Payson considered it for a moment before she made up her mind.

"Fine. But I'm paying you." Steve smiled broadly and reached out to shake her hand.

"You won't regret it Payson, I promise." As she watched him walk out of the gym, she sighed.

"I'd better not."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: You guys are really incredible! Thank you so much for all the kind words goalie19, justxsmile, PSawyer22, Dawn of a New Eclipse, JCI, als, Elli-Wyatt, Steph, BearyFunny66, iheartcam, Bailey90, elliemarie84, JTellersOldLady, AndromedaJane, and xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx. **

**Hope you all enjoyed this new chapter! If you did, or didn't, you know what to do! (Hint: the button is right below this author's note!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Search Is Over**

"_The search has come full circle / our destinies are one / So if you ever loved me / show me that you gave a damn."_

"You came home pretty late last night," Kim said as Payson hurried into the kitchen, juggling Harper and her purse.

"Uh, yeah I guess. Sasha and I were working on some possible invitationals to take the girls to. They could use the practice." Kim looked up calmly from the newspaper in front of her, eyeing her daughter. "Did Harper go down okay?"

"She was fine. You and Sasha have been spending a lot of time together lately," Kim said. Payson shifted Harper in her arms and reached into the fridge for a yogurt and some milk to add to her coffee.

"I guess. The office was a mess when I started, so we've been trying to get everything straightened out."

"Right. And all of that needs to be done with Sasha? At his apartment? Late into the night?" Kim pressed. Payson frowned and stopped moving.

"What are you saying, Mom?"

"I'm just saying that you and Sasha have been spending a lot of time together," Kim said, shrugging innocently.

"He's been a good friend to me, Mom."

"Right, a good friend."

#

Payson spent the entire drive to the daycare center trying not the think about what her mother had said, or not said, but it was harder than she thought. Her mind kept turning back to Sasha. He was a friend, a good friend, just like she had told her mother. And that was it. Wasn't it? She thought about how safe she'd felt in his apartment her first few nights back in Boulder, how the smell of him on the pillow had made her feel more secure than anything she could remember. Then she remembered all the little touches they'd shared, his hand against her shoulder, their fingers brushing…it grounded her, made her sane. And then there was that little kiss he'd pressed to her cheek. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel it, and the tingle that had shot through her, catching her by surprise.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"Mommy!" Harper cried in protest from the back seat. "You passed daycare!"

Payson shook her head clear and noticed that she had indeed passed the daycare center. She pulled into the next parking lot to turn around.

"Sorry baby. Here we go."

Harper was oblivious to Payson's mental state as she unbuckled herself from her car seat and scampered inside. Payson followed slightly behind, just to make sure she got inside safely, and smiled when her daughter rushed off to a group of kids surrounding a large building-block city. Then, she turned and went back to the car, dreading going to The Rock. She wasn't sure she could be around Sasha right now, not after realizing that she loved him…was in love with him.

In a way, she always had been. But over the years "in love" had turned into just "love;" the way you love your parents and your friends, those close to you. She hadn't thought of herself as in love with Sasha for a very long time. It scared her.

Payson sat in her car in the Rock parking lot for almost ten minutes before she gathered the courage to go inside.

"Keep it together, Keeler," she muttered to herself. She forced a smile and waved at the gymnasts who said hello to her as she climbed the steps to the office.

"Morning Payson," Sasha said brightly.

"Hi," she said stiffly, sitting down at her desk and burying herself in paperwork. The amount of paperwork to be done was endless, and it was always a good excuse to get out of talking to someone.

"I thought we might work late tonight, set up a Rock invitational and get the details sorted out before we start inviting other teams," Sasha suggested. Payson felt her heart start to pound in her chest.

"I, uh…I can't. I'm sorry." And she was sorry. But she also really wasn't. Sasha frowned and she knew that she was being unnecessarily cool, but she also wasn't quite sure how to act like normal around him, not when normal had so completely changed.

"Payson, is everything okay?" Sasha asked, moving to get out of his chair and come over to her.

"Yes!" She practically shouted, hoping it would keep him from coming any closer. "Sorry, we've just…been working late a lot lately and I really need to spend an evening at home with Harper."

"Oh, yes. Absolutely," Sasha agreed. He sank back into his chair, still studying her.

#

Sasha watched Payson closely for the next hour or so, looking for any indication of what could be wrong. She certainly didn't make it easy, although Sasha was starting to wonder if he'd done something; when one of the gymnasts came in to ask about homeschooling paperwork, Payson was her usual kind, warm self, and when a parent came in to fill out a new insurance form, Payson chatted easily, but when it was just the two of them, she held her shoulders tense and her head down, and didn't speak to him unless absolutely necessary.

He wondered if she'd figured it out, that he was in love with her. He thought over every interaction they'd had and couldn't come up with a single one that would have given it away. But what other explanation there was for her suddenly uneasy behavior, he didn't know.

After an hour of uncomfortable silence, the thing that unnerved him the most, the phone rang. He saw Payson lunge for it.

"Hello?" She asked, forgetting her usual Rock greeting. Sasha watched her face go from guarded excitement to full out joy.

"Really? Oh, thank you! I can come over tomorrow and sort out all the paperwork," Payson said happily, bouncing in the chair. She hadn't been this unguarded all day. When she hung up the phone she spun to face him.

"I got the house," she said.

"Really?" Sasha asked. Payson's excitement was contagious. Sasha stood from his chair and crossed the room.

"Really!" Payson jumped into his arms and he swung her around, the both of them laughing with happiness. All questions about what he'd done or what was wrong went out of his mind, because she was in his arms and that was all that mattered.

"Am I interrupting something?"

They both spun towards the door and Payson shrieked in happiness, bouncing towards a radiant looking Emily Kmetko. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard Payson shriek that way before.

"Emily! What are you doing here?" Payson asked after they'd exchanged hugs. Emily came farther into the office and hugged Sasha too.

"I'm out of school for the summer, took my last final yesterday and hoped the first plane back to Boulder," Emily explained. Sasha saw Payson frown and wondered why. He knew that the girls were still close, well Kaylie, Emily, Kelly, and Payson were anyway, but he hadn't kept up like he should have.

"I thought you were staying in L.A. for the summer?" Payson said cautiously. Emily shrugged.

"Changed my mind."

"Bull."

"Okay fine, I came to see you. Payson, why didn't you tell me about Jeffrey?" Emily asked. Sasha saw her look in his direction.

"Sasha knows, its fine. How did you find out?"

"Jeffrey called to see if you were staying with Damon and me. Pay, you can't go through all this by yourself, even if you think you can," Emily reminded her.

"You didn't have to come, really, but I'm glad you did."

"Sasha, am I allowed to steal her away for lunch?" Emily asked.

"Of course," Sasha said, nodding. He watched as Emily pulled Payson from The Rock and couldn't help but be glad that the tension seemed to have broken.

#

"God, Jeffrey is such an ass," Emily said as she and Payson picked at their salads.

"He sure is," Payson agreed.

"I just can't believe it. He was always so…"

"Sweet? Attentive? Perfect? He works with actors for a living, I guess it isn't such a stretch to think that he picked up a few tips," Payson said, snorting derisively.

"He did have everyone thinking he was perfect. God, I remember Kaylie and Lauren were so jealous," Emily laughed. Then her face fell.

"Oh my God," they said at the same time.

"I wonder if he slept with Lauren too," Payson whispered, her face going a little green.

"No. No, I'm sure Lauren wouldn't do that…twice," Emily assured her. Payson didn't believe her. Her hand itched to dial Lauren's number and ask her about it, but she knew it wouldn't make anything better.

"Right. Cause we all know Lauren was such a loyal friend. Anyway, I don't want to talk about Jeffrey anymore, how were finals? Graduation is coming up, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Finals were good, I can't believe they're the last ones I'll ever take," Emily mused.

"Time really flies, doesn't it?" Payson asked.

"It really does."

#

Lunch away with Emily was just what Payson needed to get over the funk she'd been in earlier. When she got back to work, promising Emily that they'd get together again soon, the awkwardness between her and Sasha had disappeared.

"How was lunch?" Sasha asked as she walked back inside. He was on the floor with the gymnasts, but he stepped to the side to talk to her.

"Good. I've missed her; we had weekly lunch dates in L.A. and she and Damon came over for dinner all the time," Payson explained. "I'll let you get back to it."

The rest of the afternoon sailed by and Payson knew she would be okay working with Sasha, despite her unrequited love. Eventually all the gymnasts were gone and it was just her and Sasha left as she finished up the last of her work. Sasha was working out, doing pull-ups on the high bar. She got distracted for a moment by the lines of his arms, the hard ridges of his abs that peeked out from beneath his tank top when he lowered himself down. She shook her head clear and grabbed a pen so that he could sign a few documents and she could go home and see her baby.

"Think you can be bothered to sign some papers and release me from this prison?" Payson asked, crossing the gym. He smiled and did two more pull-ups before dropping down to his feet.

"I suppose," he agreed.

"Good. It looked like you needed a break anyway, old man." Payson teased. Sasha scoffed, wiping his face with a small towel and then draping it across his shoulders. Broad, chiseled shoulders. Payson caught herself staring again.

"Old man? Please, I've totally still got it." Hearing the word "totally" come out of his mouth made Payson snort with laughter, which made Sasha scowl.

"Sorry, I'm not laughing at you."

"Right," he drawled. Payson couldn't stop giggling, swaying towards him and doubling over with laughter. She reached out, bracing her hand against the hard wall of his chest and felt his muscles tense beneath her fingertips. Her laughter died as she looked up at him.

"What?" she asked.

She didn't have time to draw another breath before his lips were on hers and his arms were around her waist. Payson gasped around his lips, her other hand coming up to his chest as well, like she was going to push him away. Instead, she grabbed the wide straps of his tank top and pulled him closer.

Sasha deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. She welcomed him, pulling herself up onto her toes and pressing her chest tightly against his. Sasha groaned in the back of his throat and it sent a spike of pleasure through Payson like she'd never felt before.

They broke away, breathless, Payson's entire body tingling. Sasha pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes tightly.

"Payson…I love you. I've loved you forever," Sasha whispered.

In a heartbeat, Payson ran the gamut of emotions from elation that he returned her feelings to mind-numbing fear. Her heart slammed against her chest, and not in a pleasant, exhilarated way but in the way that made her blood run cold. But she loved him, and he deserved to know it.

"I…I can't."

Payson took advantage of his stunned expression and wiggled out of his arms, running from the gym before he could even think to call her name.

#

It was almost eleven when Payson broke into The Rock, although it wasn't really breaking in because she had a key. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything that evening, nothing but the feel of Sasha's lips against hers, and the only thing that could clear her head was a good workout.

Sasha would kill her for working out in the gym alone, without anyone to spot her, but she wasn't planning on any serious skills. Not any that would have been serious to her six years ago anyway. She stuck mostly to low level skills since her training so drastically decreased, but even a little bit of gymnastics was enough to calm her mind.

She fastened her grips because the uneven bars and the vault were the only apparatuses that could effectively shut down her mind. Testing the tension on the low bar, she nodded to herself and then jumped forward. Her hands hit the low bar and she swung under before swinging back and into a handstand. From that moment on, there was no room in her mind for anything but staying on the bar. She flew through the air, over and around the bars, performing an old routine that was more muscle memory than anything else. She worked through to the dismount, doing a simple straight backwards Salto with a full twist. She stuck the landing, saluting no one and smiling. It felt good to know that she was still a pretty damn good gymnast.

"I thought I might find you here." Payson spun to find Kim standing just inside the doors, smiling.

"Hey, Mom. Just getting a little workout in," Payson said, trying to keep her voice light.

"At almost midnight? What's up, Pay?" Kim came over to the bars, sitting down and patting the mat next to her. Payson took off her grips and sat down, toying with the Velcro. She blew out a breath, debating how to tell her mom about Sasha. She suspected that Kim already knew, especially after her questions that morning, but it was still a difficult subject to broach.

"I think that I'm in love with Sasha," Payson whispered. Kim didn't say anything for a long moment, reaching over and patting Payson on the back.

"You think he doesn't love you back?"

"Oh, I know he does. He told me as much when we kissed earlier tonight," Payson admitted. Kim's hand, which had been making soothing circles on Payson's back, stilled.

"Well then what's the problem?" Kim asked softly. Payson sighed, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead.

"I don't know. When he said that, I was so happy. But then it was like I couldn't breathe, I was just…afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of…I don't know. I just think that a new relationship should be the last thing on my mind right now. I'm not even divorced yet," Payson muttered.

"And maybe you're just a little afraid that what happened with Jeffrey will happen with Sasha?" Kim pressed.

"No, not really. I know Sasha is a good man, I don't think he'd ever cheat on a woman, but…I don't know if I can ever be as unguarded as I was when I met Jeffrey. I don't know if I can trust anyone enough to have a relationship."

"Even though you've always trusted Sasha more than anyone else?"

"Even though. I think I owe it to myself, and to Sasha and Harper and everyone else, to take some time to…I don't know. Figure out my life."

"I understand, sweetie. And I think Sasha will too."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Just doin' what Moms do best, Pay." They both stood up and grabbed their things, heading back out to the parking lot.

"Oh! Guess what?" Payson asked.

"What?"

"I was so preoccupied earlier I forgot to tell you…they accepted my offer on the house. I sign the paperwork tomorrow," Payson said with a grin. Kim smiled too.

"That's great, Pay! Come on, let's go home and have some fro-yo to celebrate."

#

Payson was absent from work most of the next morning, taking a little time to sleep in and then driving across town to sign the papers on the house. By the time she got to The Rock, it was almost lunch break. She was prepared for an awkward tension between her and Sasha, what she was not prepared for was Sasha sending the gymnasts on their break fifteen minutes early and trapping her in the office.

"Payson, we need to talk about last night," Sasha said, his brow furrowed.

"I…" Sasha held up a hand to stop her.

"No, look…I'm sorry, Payson. I shouldn't have said what I did, especially with everything going on with Jeffrey." Payson smiled sadly, reaching up and tracing her fingers over his cheek. She wanted to tell him that she felt the same way, but the words stuck in her throat. So instead she reached up and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not sixteen anymore, Sasha, I should have stayed and talked to you like an adult. I can't lie and say I'm not attracted to you, I am, but I'm just not ready," she explained, very careful to make him think her feelings were casual. It seemed to work and he nodded in response.

"I understand, Payson. I'll wait as long as you need."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: THANK YOU to Blacksash, aVampireVixen (it makes me so happy to hear FYtW sucked you in like that!), JCI, AngelWings8 (that fic I promised you is coming, I swear), iheartcam, brokenangelwings16, Elli-Wyatt, maggymoo21, xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, BearyFunny66, and brochacho for your reviews! You guys are awesome!**

**Now, I know I've been posting these new chapters on Sunday/Monday, but I'm posting this chapter a few days early because tomorrow morning (5 am!) I'm leaving for a little trip to New York City, my favorite place in the United States, and tied for number one in the whole world. **

**Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! If you do or don't, you know what to do...REVIEW! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Other Way**

"_I have many fears / about rejection / I have many memories of pain / I have always been a bit too shy / So I'll turn and look the other way"_

"Mom, what would you think about coming back to The Rock?" Payson asked as the Keeler family sat down to dinner. Kim looked up, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"Well, Sasha wants me to start coaching when he finds a new gym manager, only…he can't find a new manager. He wants someone familiar with the gym and how he works but none of the parents seem interested. He even asked Summer," Payson said, grimacing.

"Really? And Summer said no?"

"Summer said hell no. Well, not hell no because she doesn't curse, but she said no with vehemence," Payson explained. Kim sighed, biting her lip and looking at Mark, who just shrugged.

"I'll do it. If Sasha's okay with it," Kim said. Payson smiled.

"He'll be okay with it."

#

"Sasha? Can I talk to you for a second?" Payson asked the next morning at The Rock. His head snapped up, surprise written over his face, like he hadn't expected her to come in to work.

"Of course," Sasha sputtered, motioning to her chair. Payson sat down, trying not to relax too much. Though she had made the decision not to hide from Sasha, she had also decided to keep a little bit of distance. She didn't need to treat Sasha like her boyfriend (minus the sex) if he wasn't gonna be.

"You don't seem to be having much luck finding a gym manager," she pointed out, smiling a little bit. Sasha sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I know," he answered with a groan. Payson sat back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest and grinning.

"Well, I would kind of like to start coaching sooner rather than later, so how about my mother takes the job?" Sasha looked up slowly, his hand dropping to the desk.

"Kim? She'd do it?"

"Yes. I talked to her last night, she's more than happy to do it," Payson said.

"Great! Can she start Monday?"

"Of course."

"Good, good. Okay, I need to be on the floor, but can we get together tonight or tomorrow night to discuss training plans?" Sasha asked. Payson thought she saw a glimmer of hope in Sasha's eyes and it sent a thrill through her that she immediately pushed away.

"Nights aren't good. I can do lunch breaks," Payson suggested, trying to make it sound like nothing had changed between them. Like there wasn't a distance. She didn't miss the disappointment that crossed his face.

She hated herself for the distance. She missed him already.

#

Payson was just packing her purse after work on Saturday when Sasha knocked on the office door. He leaned against the door jamb and crossed his arms, just watching her.

"Can I help you?" Payson asked, laughing.

"Where are you off to?" Sasha asked, smiling and looking at the clock. It was four, but Payson knew he didn't have a problem with her leaving.

"Shopping. I closed on the house the other day and now I need furniture to fill it." Sasha nodded.

"Want company? You've seen my apartment, you know I have excellent taste in furniture," Sasha said with a smile. Payson shook her head, smiling coyly.

"No, that's okay. You should stay here with the gymnasts. I'll see you Monday," Payson said firmly. Then she slipped past him and out the door.

Her mother and Harper met her at the furniture store, but Payson wished Sasha were there too. He really did have great taste in furniture. Kim passed Harper to Payson and they set off around the store, Payson making notes about things she wanted so she could have it delivered.

"So are you going to have people over when your furniture comes in?" Kim asked as they looked at toddler beds for Harper's room.

"I don't know, I guess. You know me and parties," Payson grumbled. Even after six years of marriage to Jeffrey, which meant at least a hundred work parties, premiers, and club openings, Payson still hated large social gatherings.

"I know you and big parties," Kim sighed, sounding a little sad. Payson rolled her eyes. Her mother wanted to throw her a housewarming party, and the thought was sweet, but Payson wasn't sure she wanted a party.

"Mom…do what you like," Payson finally sighed. She jotted down the product number of a chair for Harper's room. Kim smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Great."

#

Payson's furniture was delivered Saturday morning, and she spent the rest of the day arranging it. She still needed the little things, and decorations, but that's what Sunday's housewarming party would be for. Her mother had really run wild with the "small party" idea and now all of her friends, even a bunch from L.A., were coming to celebrate her new house.

Sasha had texted her mid-Saturday afternoon and offered to help her clean and arrange; he was really making it difficult to keep that professional distance she wanted. She thanked him, and then called her Dad to come over and help.

"Your mom is really excited to start at The Rock again," Mark commented as he and Payson pushed her new couch against the back living room wall.

"Good," Payson said with a grunt.

"She also seems to think there's something going on between you and Sasha." Payson sighed heavily and straightened, hands on her hips.

"Dad…" Mark held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm not saying there is, I'm just saying what Mom said."

"Sasha and I are not together."

"She didn't say you were together, she said there was something going on between you."

"Well there isn't," she snapped, immediately regretting it."I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's okay. I can take it. Come on, let's get your room put together."

#

Payson hated parties, but this one wasn't so bad. And her mother certainly counted it a success; after only an hour there were at least thirty people in her house, and five more set to arrive soon. Thankfully, Kim had taken over hostess duties and insisted that Payson mingle and enjoy.

"So, how's it going at The Rock?" Emily asked.

"Oh, you know…its work," Payson said with a shrug. She was about to speak again when they were interrupted by Kim.

"Payson! Guess who's here?"

Before Payson could hazard a guess, she caught sight of Kaylie Cruz and Kelly Parker at the door. She and Emily started shrieking and the four former teammates embraced, jumping and hugging each other. Of course, Payson had seen each of them, but all four of them hadn't been together since Emily's wedding four years ago. It was hard to get everyone's schedules coordinated; Kaylie was working on a counseling Masters at NYU, Kelly coached in Miami, and Payson and Emily had been in Los Angeles.

"Just so you know, Pay, if you want me to I'll hunt Jeffrey down and rough him up for you," Kelly offered, stone-cold serious. Payson laughed.

"Thanks, Kelly, but I think Harper would miss her Dad, even if he is a piece of shit."

"We could always find her a different dad," Kelly huffed. Payson rolled her eyes, trying to pretend she didn't already have someone in mind.

"I can't even begin to explain how happy I am to see you guys," Kaylie said, changing the subject.

"Me too!" Emily cried happily.

"Well, well, the four of you just light up a room," Sasha said from behind them. Payson jumped, turning to face him and trying not to smile too widely. The other girls cried out happily and hugged their former coach before he stepped up to Payson, offering her a small bouquet of daisies and leaning in to kiss her cheek. She worried someone would notice the violent shiver that ran through her when his hand pressed against her hip for balance, but no one said anything.

"Sasha, how are you?" Kaylie asked. Payson tried to look away, look anywhere but Sasha's steel blue eyes, but he wouldn't let her. Something drew her in.

"I'm doing very well, thank you Kaylie. How are you? I heard you graduated?" Sasha asked. Kaylie beamed.

"I did! I graduated in June…God, almost a year ago, and now I'm working on my Master's degree," Kaylie explained.

"Last June? That was quick, wasn't it?" Sasha asked. Kaylie nodded.

"I went year round. I was eager to get school out of the way and start my career." Sasha continued to chat with the other girls, but glancing back to Payson every few seconds. Payson wasn't participating in the conversation; it took all her concentration not to stare at Sasha.

"Payson?" She snapped to attention, looking at Kelly.

"Huh?" Kelly laughed, shaking her head.

"You are a million miles away, Keeler." Payson blinked and grimaced.

"Sorry. Uh, I should go mingle." Payson hurried away, over to a group of her friends from Los Angeles. She felt Sasha's eyes on her the whole way.

#

Payson could feel Sasha's eyes on her as she moved around the room, mingling. It made her stomach clench in desire and her skin itch. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and excused herself to the kitchen, no one would miss her for at least a little while.

Bracing her hands against the shiny marble counter, she took a few deep breathes. Payson would need to learn how to be around Sasha in social situations or she would never survive; she'd crumble under her desire for him.

"You okay?" Payson jumped at the sound of Sasha's voice, making him laugh. "You're very jumpy tonight."

"I'm…stressed. I hate parties," Payson lied. Well, half-lied. Sasha was silent for a long moment, but she knew he was still there, she could feel him.

"Don't lie to me Payson," Sasha whispered. "I know I freaked you out when I told you I love you, but we need to find a way to still be around each other."

"We're around each other every day and we do just fine," Payson said, trying to keep her tone light. Sasha arched his eyebrows, telling her how much he thought that was bullshit.

"Things have changed between us Payson. We used to be friends and now I feel as though we're just…co-workers."

"We are co-workers."

"We're also friends. I know you don't love me…"

"Sasha," Payson interrupted. Sasha held up a hand and shook his head.

"I know you aren't ready to love me yet, but I also know that doesn't mean you don't care for me. I've felt this way for a long time, so it's not new for me. And I imagine your feelings towards me haven't changed all that much, so can we just go back to how it was before? You can even forget I ever mentioned loving you, if it helps," Sasha teased. Payson smiled sadly, wishing she could tell Sasha that she did love him.

"I don't know if I can just forget it, Sasha. But I will try not to let it interfere with our friendship," Payson promised. Sasha grinned.

"Good. I missed you, Payson."

He turned and went back to the party, leaving Payson to her thoughts.

"I missed you too."

#

The party lasted most of the afternoon and by the end, Payson had everything she could possibly want or need to decorate her new home with. Harper had toddled around the party, chatting off the ears of anyone who gave her even a moment's attention; she seemed to have none of the trouble with parties that her mother did.

As the guests trickled out, Emily came to stand next to Payson, who was washing dishes. She raked her hand through her dark hair and stared at Payson until she turned to look at her.

"Yes?" Payson asked.

"The girls and I were talking…" she trailed off.

"And?"

"We need a reunion. It's been so long since we've all spent time together, so how about we go out to dinner? You, me, Kaylie, Kelly, and Sasha," Emily suggested. Payson nodded.

"Okay," Payson agreed. Emily grinned widely.

"Great! We leave in ten. Kaylie made reservations at Le Privilage."

"Seriously? Don't you think we're a little too…boisterous for that kind of place?" Payson asked.

"Nah. Come on. And your mom already said she'd watch Harper."

"Perfect."

They all made their way to dinner at the nicest restaurant in Boulder, a place they could all more than afford post-Olympic success. As the waiter kept the wine flowing, they group got caught up; Kelly was her usual brash shelf, crass and harsh as she regaled them with tales of the gym she ran with Austin Tucker in sunny Florida. Emily was more serene than she had ever been as she told them about life with Damon, all of which Payson had already heard. Kaylie was animated, talking with her hands as she told them about working with teens in an eating disorder clinic as part of her internship. Together, they were all very loud, and very, very happy. Payson reveled in the warm feeling that spread through her while she was surrounded by the best friends she'd ever had.

"Okay you two…what's the story?" Kelly asked, motioning between Sasha and Payson. They both managed to keep their cool as Payson raised an eyebrow.

"What story?" Payson asked. Kelly rolled her eyes.

"I mean, now that you two are co-workers there have to be some good stories coming out of The Rock! Come on, we need gym gossip!" Kelly begged, stamping her feet beneath the table. Payson laughed, partly relieved that Kelly hadn't meant what she thought she meant, and partly because Kelly amused her.

"Steve Tanner came in the other day," Payson offered. The three other girls at the table gasped.

"Why?"

"Because Payson still doesn't know when to keep something to herself," Sasha joked, nudging her with his elbow. She rolled her eyes.

"I ran into Summer Van Horn…"

"Tanner," Sasha corrected.

"And told her about the divorce, and she told her husband Steve. He decided he needed to represent me. So, Steve Tanner is now my attorney."

"What?" Kaylie shrieked. Patrons in the restaurant turned to stare at the group and Payson ducked her head down just a bit.

"Shh. He made a good point. He's kind of ruthless, and I want him on my team."

They gossiped for a while longer and slowly Payson started to feel more at ease around Sasha, without that "professional distance" to cling to. Finally, after hours of conversation and laughter, Kelly bluntly told Sasha it was time for him to leave so that they could hate on men without feeling guilty. Sasha laughed and feigned hurt, but hugged them all goodbye. When he hugged Payson, he pressed a kissed to her jaw, just below her ear, and she didn't miss the way his hands lingered at her waist. She shivered and discreetly pushed him away.

"Goodnight, Sasha," she said. He winked at her.

"Goodnight ladies." Payson sighed as she sat back down, feeling torn all over again. The back and forth was driving her crazy. The girls all watched Sasha walk out and were silent for a few moments, a rare occurrence for them. As soon as he was out of sights, and earshot, Kelly leaned over the table and stared hard at Payson.

"Okay, seriously what's going on between you two?" Kelly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Payson asked, trying to pretend they were crazy. Her heart started to race. Kelly narrowed her eyes, studying Payson hard.

"I'm talking about all that ridiculous sexual tension that we can practically see between you and Sasha. Are you fucking him?"

"Kelly!" Payson cried. She was used to Kelly's coarse language, but as the parent of a small child that word still hit her the wrong way.

"Well…are you?" Kaylie pressed carefully. Payson took a deep breath and slowly shook her head.

"No."

"Well then what's going on?" Emily asked.

"Sasha and I…we love each other. He told me that he's in love with me, but I haven't told him that I feel the same yet," Payson explained.

"Why in the world not?" Kaylie asked, frowning.

"Because...I'm afraid. I've never had the best luck with men. I mean, first with Nicky who was practically my drug dealer, second when I kissed Sasha and almost ruined all of our careers, then Max which…well you all know how that ended, and now Jeffrey? Every relationship I've ever had has ended disastrously and I can't stand the thought that the same might happen with Sasha. I love him too much to lose his friendship," Payson explained. Every time she explained her reasoning, it felt more solid in her mind, more reasonably sound.

"Payson," Emily said softly, reaching across the table for her hand. "I understand you're afraid, and with anyone else I would say it was the smart way to go, but you're safe with Sasha."

"I agree with Emily," Kaylie said. "Sasha would never hurt you, and you love him. Why not give it a shot? Even if it doesn't work out, you and Sasha have a bond that won't ever be broken, you'll always be friends at the very least."

"Go for it, Keeler," Kelly pushed. Payson took a deep breath.

"Every time I try to tell him how I feel, it's like I can't breathe. My body just won't let me say it, no matter how badly I want to."

"Payson, you have got to trust yourself, and Sasha."

"I'm just so scared," Payson said slowly. Kelly smiled.

"Good, that means you won't screw it up."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you to JCI, iheartcam, Elli-Wyatt, goalie19, BearyFunny66, brochacho, Anisky, xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, Blacksash, AngelWings8, and aVampireVixen for your reviews! I'm so happy you're all enjoying the story! **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! I know it seems like the story might be moving a little slowly, but BIG things are coming in the next few chapters and this one was a lot of set-up for that. **

**If you loved it, hated it, or felt even in-between about it, let me know! Click that little review button right beneath this Author's Note! And thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Beside You**

"_If your heart wears thin / I will hold you up / And I will hide you when it gets too much / I'll be right beside you / Nobody will break you"_

Weeks passed, but Payson still hadn't said anything to Sasha and she had no idea when she was going to. The girls badgered her every day with text messages and phone calls, pushing her to tell him and that only made her dig her heels in more.

"If you don't tell him, I will," Kelly said as Payson talked to her on the phone. She swiveled a bit in her office chair, doodling on her notepad.

"Kelly, just stop it," Payson begged. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Sasha come in, effectively ending that part of their conversation. "So, we're all set for this weekend?"

"Did he just walk in? Yeah, we're all set; your team will get here Thursday night, competition is Friday and Saturday, you'll go home Sunday. The press wants a post-competition press conference on Saturday afternoon."

"Got it. Okay, I actually have to go work now, Kelly, so I'll talk to you later. See you in a few days," Payson said.

"Yeah, yeah. Travel safe." Payson hung up the phone and turned to Sasha.

"The arrangements for the invite this weekend are taken care of; mom got us a block of hotel rooms on the same floor so we can keep an eye on the girls, plane tickets are in the safe, and schedule changes are made to cover for you and I being gone from here," Payson explained. Sasha laughed lightly and Payson frowned. "What?"

"You're still acting like gym manager," he shrugged, still smiling. Payson rolled her eyes.

"Come on, coach, let's get to work."

#

"Keeler!" Payson turned towards the sound of her name being called through the Miami airport. Austin Tucker stood at baggage claim, looking just the same as the last time she'd seen him two years ago at the 2016 Olympics. He smiled brightly.

Payson couldn't help herself, she ran and leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. Austin had been a great friend and ally during her years as a gymnast and she cared deeply for him. Besides the girls, and Sasha, Austin was one of her best friends.

"Tucker! How are you?"

"I'm good. I'd be better if you let me and Kelly take care of that little prick Jeffrey," Austin said darkly. Payson shook her head.

"I appreciate the thought, but seriously, no."

"Fine," Austin sighed, setting her down. Then his face brightened again. "Kelly and I are taking you and Sasha out on the town tonight. Our assistant coaches will keep an eye on your girls at the hotel, so you can't say no."

Payson and Sasha exchange glances, but agreed.

#

"So, working with Keeler again, huh?" Austin asked, handing Sasha a beer and grabbing his pool cue. Sasha racked up the balls and then set up to break.

"Yes. She needed something to do, I needed an assistant coach," Sasha said, shrugging. Austin stared at him for a moment.

"What's that like? Being around her all the time and having her not be your underage, jailbait gymnast?" Austin asked. Sasha focused on his shot, sinking a striped ball into a corner pocket before taking a sip of his beer and looking up at Austin.

Austin had known about Sasha's feelings for Payson, although Sasha hadn't ever actually come right out and said it. Austin was weird like that, almost clairvoyant.

"It's…interesting," Sasha admitted.

"Interesting how? Are you two together?"

"No. We're in a very frustrating state of limbo; I love her, I think she might love me someday, but she's still fresh off this mess with Jeffrey and I don't want to rush her," he explained. Austin took his shot and sunk two solid balls.

"So basically you're torturing yourself, keeping the one woman you want, but can't have, close at hand?" Austin teased.

Sasha looked across the bar to where Kelly and Payson were sitting, leaning in close and talking animatedly. Payson smiled brightly at something Kelly said and Sasha thought she had never looked so beautiful.

"I guess so."

#

"Payson, when are you going to tell him?" Kelly asked, steering their lighthearted conversation into serious territory.

"I don't know. You know, things are great between us right now and I think that until something changes, I'm just going to let things be the way they are. I'll know when it's the right time," Payson said. Kelly sighed, but didn't press the issue, probably because Austin and Sasha were making their way back to the table.

For hours they drank and laughed, enjoying each other's company. Payson and Sasha flirted endlessly, with little touches here and there, lingering glances, and it all made Payson's skin tingle. She wanted nothing more than to throw her fears to the wind and have her way with him. But she managed to keep herself together for the evening.

"It's almost midnight, we should all be getting some sleep," Austin said, glancing at his watch. He pulled out his credit card and handed it to the waitress to close their tab, and then leaned back in his chair. "You guys ready to get crushed tomorrow?"

"Good luck," Sasha snorted. Payson laughed at the slight slur to his words.

"Come on, let's go," Payson giggled. As she stood up, a wave of dizziness hit her and she stumbled. She'd had more alcohol than she thought.

Sasha caught her by the elbow and the four of them laughed before heading out to the cab, which dropped Sasha and Payson at the hotel first before taking Austin and Kelly to their homes. As they wobbled through the lobby, leaning on each other, Payson felt more and more like she wanted to throw her fears out the window and just be with him. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but maybe it was also just the push she needed to jump in both feet. She giggled at how cliché-ridden her thoughts were.

"What's funny?" Sasha asked as they rode the elevator up to their floor. Payson stared at him, still giggling.

"Nothing," she said coyly. Sasha waggled his eyebrows.

"Nothing?" Payson swayed on her feet just as the door binged open. Sasha wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her down to her room.

"What's funny?" Sasha pressed. Payson leaned into his chest as he worked her key into the reader and waited for the light to turn green.

"You're cute," Payson said quietly, like it was a secret. "Want to come in for a night cap?"

Sasha sucked in a breath and held it, looking like he might agree. Payson smiled, toying with the hem of his t-shirt, but Sasha surprised her by shaking his head.

"We can't," he whispered. She frowned.

"Why not?"

"You're drunk, hell I'm drunk, and that's not how I want to start," Sasha groaned, like he hated himself for saying it. Payson sighed and smiled at him sadly.

"I know. Goodnight, Sasha," Payson said, slipping through the doorway. "And thank you."

Sasha caught her hand, pulling her close to him and lifting his free hand to her cheek. Before she could process it, his lips were on hers, pressing firmly. Just as quickly as they were there, they were gone and so was he.

#

Payson groaned as the alarm buzzed bright and early Saturday morning. Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton and her head was pounding. She hadn't been hung over since she and the other girls celebrated their win in London, and she had forgotten how awful it was.

Rolling out of bed, Payson shuffled to the bathroom for a glass of water and fumbled in her purse for extra strength pain reliever. Then, she turned the shower on as hot as it would go and waited for the steam to fill the small room. Just as she was about to step under the stream of scalding water, someone knocked on her door.

"Who is it?" Payson asked, glancing at the clock. None of the gymnasts would be up yet, she knew they would try to squeeze out every second of sleep they could.

"Room service, miss," a muffled voice replied. Payson frowned.

"Uh, I didn't order any room service."

"Yes ma'am, someone ordered it for you." Payson stood on her toes to look out the peephole and found a bell hop with a cart full of food. Curious, she opened the door and watched as he wheeled the cart inside. She handed him a tip and he left, closing the door behind him.

Payson started searching for a clue as to who sent her the food, even though she had an idea. Sure enough, a card sat propped between two covered plates.

_Thought you could use some help with the hangover. ~S_

Payson smiled and uncovered the food; a large southwestern omelet covered in cheese and sausage, bacon, and toast, all covered in grease and the best hangover cure she could ask for. But first, she needed to shower.

#

"Thanks for breakfast," Payson said softly as she moved to stand next to Sasha, watching the teams warm up. He grinned, a cocky, half-smile that said he knew what a heartthrob he was.

"You're welcome. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Much better. They look good," Payson said, changing the subject to the gymnasts. They looked fantastic, like they would blow Miami Elite out of the water, Annabelle in particular. The girl wasn't as intensely focused as Payson had been, but she was incredible. She had Kaylie's girl-next-door commercial appear, Kelly's fire, Emily's stubbornness, and Payson's talent, like a little super gymnast.

"They do."

"You two ready?" Austin called from across the gym. Sasha gave him a thumbs up and the announcer called all the gymnasts to line up. Sasha and Payson gathered their team for a little pre-competition huddle.

"Ladies, I know that because Payson and I are close friends with the Miami coaches you might think this is a friendly little competition that doesn't really matter," Sasha said. "But it isn't. Every meet between now and the Olympic Trials is preparation, including Nationals and Worlds. You must do the absolute best you can at each meet in order to take yourselves one step closer to Johannesburg in 2020."

The girls stared at Sasha with wide, nervous eyes and Payson could so clearly remember when she was in their position. How she'd idolized him, trusted him…loved him. He looked over at her, his eyes inviting her to speak if she wanted to.

"You're all ready," she said simply. "The only thing that can stop you all from a personal best score is yourself."

They all brought their hands in, chalk floating around them and Sasha counted to three.

"Rock on!" Payson smiled at the plume of chalk that rose around them as the girls threw their hands in the air.

Payson took a deep breath and held it for a few moments, trying to get rid of her nervous jitters. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, but she had no way to release it now that she was a coach instead of an athlete. She felt Sasha beside her and glanced at him.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Why? It's not you competing," he pointed out with a smile, like he already knew what she was going to say.

"Exactly. I want to be out there," she said, a little whine to her voice. Sasha laughed loudly before squeezing her shoulder and moving away to give last minute instruction. Annabelle took his place, outwardly calm.

"How you doing, coach?" Annabelle asked. Payson saw her hands shaking ever-so-slightly. Most people would never have noticed.

"I think the better question might be: how are you?" Annabelle shrugged, trying to pretend she wasn't nervous.

"Good. Ready to get this over with," she said. She started to fasten her grips, getting ready for a turn on the bars.

"Nervous?"

"Not at all," Annabelle said lightly, barely a tremor in her voice. Then it was her turn and she was testing the tension on the bars and chalking up.

Annabelle's routine was flawless. Her DOD wasn't as high as it could have been , but Sasha wanted to save her big moves for big meets. Despite what he'd said to the girls about every meet counting as the next step towards Johannesburg, they weren't pulling out all the stops quite yet. For a little dual meet against Miami Elite there was no need to use the big moves and give away all their secrets.

"Great job, Annabelle!" Payson cheered as Annabelle stuck her landing. The judges flashed a near perfect score on the screen and Annabelle beamed, running over to hug Sasha and Payson.

The Rock girls performed fantastically, and Payson was beaming ear to ear. She couldn't imagine being more proud, unless maybe it was Harper out there. She felt like all these gymnasts were her own kids.

"Having a proud mum moment?" Sasha asked, grinning. Payson smiled back.

"I am. Did you feel like this with us, like a proud father?" Payson asked. Sasha was silent for a moment, and Payson looked over at him, wondering if he was going to answer at all. He had a strange look on his face, one she couldn't place.

"About the others, yes. Not about you," he said softly. She blushed and looked away.

"Keeler, Belov, let's go!" Austin called from the doorway. Payson saw Kelly waiting just outside, ready to face a sea of reporters who all wanted to hear about the coaching adventures of the four greatest gymnasts ever to come out of the United States.

Payson followed Sasha towards the crowd and they made a show for the reporters; Payson hugging both Austin and Kelly, Sasha shaking Austin's hand and kissing Kelly's cheek. The reporters snapped at least a dozen pictures.

"Nice job, Keeler," Austin said as she hugged him.

"You too, Tucker. Sorry it wasn't quite good enough," Payson teased. He mocked hurt as they all climbed onto a small stage that had been set up by Miami Elite's gym manager and took seats behind a folding card table.

"The coaches of The Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Center and Miami Elite will be answering a few questions pertaining to today's meet," the Miami Elite manager said to the crowd gathered at the base of the stage.

The first few questions were softballs, questions about the facts of the meet, scores, Olympic prospects for the girls, etc. Payson watched as one of the reporters answered his cell phone, covering his other ear with his hand. Then he smiled.

"Ms. Keeler, are you enjoying being back in the world of gymnastics? You took quite the absence," one reporter asked. Payson flashed her a smile.

"I am. Gymnastics has been such a huge part of my life, and coming back to The Rock was like coming home. Of course, Sasha has made it incredibly easy to transition into a coaching position, and the girls themselves are wonderful," Payson said. The reporter scribbled the quote on her notepad as another reporter's hand went up.

"Payson, how are you handling the news that your husband's mistress is pregnant with his child?"

Payson felt her heart stop. She hadn't known that Rebecca was pregnant; her spineless soon-to-be ex hadn't shared that with her.

The second the questions registered with everyone else in the crowd, Payson felt Sasha's hand on her knee, beneath the table, and she reached over to squeeze his fingers. She didn't know what to say, how to answer that question.

"Payson," Sasha whispered, squeezing her knee. She could feel Austin and Kelly's rage at Jeffrey and concern for her. She swallowed roughly and took a breath.

"I wish Jeffrey nothing but the best," Payson said through gritted teeth. Before the reporter could press the issue with another question Austin and Kelly signaled to their gym manager that the press conference needed to end, and she wrapped it up in a short, terse sentence.

"That's it for today."

#

Payson couldn't escape fast enough. She felt like the whole world was pressing down on her, keeping her from breathing, and she needed to be alone so that she could fall apart. As soon as she was released from the press conference she dashed down the street to the hotel and ran the stairs up to her room.

When the door shut behind her, she burst into tears. Jeffrey shouldn't still be able to affect her that way, but he did. She'd dedicated six years of her life to him, and he'd hurt her more than she thought possible. And now, he was throwing his betrayal in her face.

"Payson!" Sasha called, knocking firmly on the door. She pressed her hands harder against her face, hoping it would help her hide from Sasha. "Payson open the door!"

"Go away, Sasha," Payson groaned.

"I am not leaving until you open this door." Payson heard the tone in his voice, one usually reserved for coaching a stubborn gymnast, and sighed. She would have to let him in eventually, so it might as well be now.

She opened the door and then walked back to her bed, falling backwards onto it and draping an arm across her eyes. Her tears had dried and her anger had cooled, and she was left feeling…lost. She wasn't sure how to react anymore.

"Are you alright?" Sasha asked in a whisper, sitting down beside her. She shrugged.

"I don't know. I wish…I wish this were easier. I wish I could have just magically fallen out of love with him the second I found out about her, but…" Payson trailed off, unsure of how to put everything she was feeling into words.

"It isn't quite that easy, is it?" Sasha asked. Payson felt her lower lip tremble as tears started to well in her eyes again and she shook her head.

"It's so hard," she sobbed. Sasha pulled her up into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her, holding tightly.

"I know, love."

For a long time they just sat together, Payson wrapped in his arms and Sasha making soothing noises. Finally, Sasha pressed a kiss to her temple and started to speak.

"Payson, I know we weren't going to talk about this, but I love you. I will be here for you, no matter what, whether we're together or not, because I love you. We'll get through this together."

Payson's heart swelled, making her cry harder into his chest. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too, but like always the words caught in her throat. She couldn't give her heart to someone as fully as Sasha deserved if she was still caught up over what happened with Jeffrey.

So instead of telling him, she decided to show him. She kissed him.

Sasha's lips were warm and soft beneath hers and she shifted to get a better angle. Sasha's arms tightened around her and he hauled her into his lap, skimming one hand over her thigh and up to her hip as the other tangled in her hair.

"Payson, we shouldn't," Sasha whispered, pulling away just enough to speak. Payson grabbed his chin in her hands and looked him straight in the eye.

"Shh, just kiss me."

So he did. Payson sank into his kisses, moaning softly as his tongue pressed into her mouth. No one kissed like Sasha kissed. Without breaking contact, Payson worked her hands down his chest, scraping her nails over the fabric of his tee shirt and then slipped them beneath the hem and pushed it up, baring his chest. They pulled away just enough for Payson to lift the shirt over his head.

Sasha twisted and pushed her back, pressing her against the mattress and bracing himself above her. Payson ran her foot up his leg, shifting to bring their lower bodies into contact that made them both gasp. He rocked against her, sliding his hand beneath her shirt, skimming over the soft flesh of her stomach. She groaned.

"Sasha," she breathed. He nipped at her neck, working her shirt up her body.

"What, love? Tell me what you want," he rasped. Payson twisted her fingers in his hair, tugging, and arched against him.

"You. I want you."

**A/N: Thank you to JCI, iheartcam, xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, AngelWings8, BearyFunny66, and Elli-Wyatt for your reviews!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It's a little later than I was hoping to post, but this week at work has been absolutely brutal so I had to finish the last half or so tonight. That said, if you enjoyed any part of this, or have something to say about it, PLEASE review. I know there are a lot of you reading this and who have this story on alert and that makes me so happy, but it makes me even happier to actually hear what you all love about it. **

**Thank you all for taking the time to read, and let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Waitin' On a Woman**

"_Honey, take your time, cause I don't mind / Waitin' on a woman"_

Sasha woke up slowly, enveloped in a warm feeling he hadn't experienced…ever. He felt the soft, curvy body of a woman curled into his chest and for a moment he couldn't remember what had happened the night before. Then it all came rushing back.

Payson, sobbing in his arms. The look on her face as she came apart beneath him, her cheeks rosy and her body covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She was spectacular. And she was in his bed. Well, her bed…her hotel bed.

Sasha traced his fingers up her side just enough to feel the silk of her skin, but not enough to wake her. She deserved a good night's sleep after the day she'd had. If Sasha ever saw Jeffrey again, and Harper wasn't in the immediate vicinity, he'd be in heaps of pain.

He knew the moment Payson woke up. First, she melted beneath his hands, and then almost immediately she froze, her body tense. Damn. He'd been hoping to skip the morning after regret. He meant what he'd said about being by her side forever, no matter what, but the back and forth from her was exhausting.

"Morning," he said, his voice rough from sleep. She turned over, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Morning. Uh…could you…"

"I've got to be getting back to my own room. Wouldn't want the girls to see…"

"Right. We don't want them to get the wrong idea…" Neither of them were really finishing their thoughts, and Sasha knew it. There was so much hanging in the air between them, years of emotional baggage, and a hotel in Miami was not the place to hash it all out.

Sasha climbed out of bed, being as discreet as possible and putting on the previous day's clothes. Payson put a lot of effort into not watching him. Finally, he slipped out of the room, leaving Payson to her thoughts.

#

Payson wasn't sure her body could take any more emotional stress. She'd never had so many panic attacks in such a short amount of time, but there she was in the bathroom of her hotel room, standing under scalding hot water, gasping for breath. She was certain she had just ruined anything she might ever have had with Sasha.

She could hear her phone ringing the entire forty-five minutes she was in the shower. Either the press in Boulder had gotten wind of Jeffrey's situation, or Sasha wanted to talk about the night before. She couldn't deny it, her cheeks flushed just thinking about what they had done, and the butterflies low in her stomach hadn't stopped fluttering since. Why couldn't she just get over herself and be with him? She loved him, the sex was incredible, and he was a good, kind man. What the hell was her problem?

Jeffrey. He was her problem. Every time she told herself she could trust Sasha, that he loved her and would never hurt her, she remembered feeling that way about Jeffrey too. She remembered thinking that she knew him, better than anyone, and yet there she was, twenty-four years old and about to be a single mother.

Finally, Payson forced herself out of the shower. They only had so much time before the bus would take them to the airport, and as it was she already wouldn't have enough time to make herself actually presentable. She quickly dried her hair and pulled it up into a ponytail, mourning for a moment the long locks of her teenage years, and then threw on jeans and a tank top. When she was finished dressing, she finally looked at her phone. Seven missed calls, but only one from Sasha; three were from Jeffrey, one from Kaylie, one from Emily, and one from her mom. She guessed all but the one from Sasha were about the bombshell dropped at the press conference the day before. She put the phone back in her purse, unwilling to confront that issue just yet.

"Payson, you ready to go?" Sasha called, knocking lightly on the door. She felt her heart start to race as she gathered her bags.

"Yup. Just a minute."

When she opened the door, she found Sasha leaning against the wall looking so delicious it took every ounce of willpower she had not to jump him. He gave her a small, tentative smile.

"Ready?" she asked, trying to pretend they hadn't spent the better part of the night having sex. Lots of sex. He nodded and they set off for the lobby where most of the gymnasts were already waiting, as well as Kelly and Austin.

"Pay, are you okay?" Kelly asked, hurrying up to Payson as soon as she and Sasha get off the elevator. "I've been trying to call you all morning."

"I know, I was in the shower," Payson replied. She tried not to look at Sasha, their evening activities weren't something she wanted to give away yet, but Kelly noticed a difference.

"What is going on?" she hissed, grabbing Payson by the elbow and steering her away from the crowd. Payson shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, Payson Keeler, and if you don't tell me right now I'll…"

"You'll what?" Payson asked. Kelly fell silent for a moment and then huffed when she realized she didn't have anything to hold over Payson's head. Not that she was willing to use, anyway.

"Fine, fly safe." Kelly hugged Payson and sent her on her way.

#

"I thought we might use the flight time to discuss the girls' new training schedule," Sasha said as the plane leveled out at its cruising altitude. Payson's grip on the armrest has just relaxed, for a girl who had done more than her fair share of international travel she hated to fly, and already Sasha was diving right in.

"Uh, sure," Payson agreed, swallowing past the nervous lump in her throat. Sasha's knee brushed hers, the rough texture of his jeans against her bare knee making her shiver. Sasha glanced at her sideways, his eyes burning, and Payson felt desire bloom low in her belly again. He handed her a spreadsheet with a schedule on it and their fingers brushed. Payson took a deep breath, wondering how she could survive the next few hours.

"Since you're coaching full time now I thought we could run conditioning in the morning; one of us strength, the other cardio, and in the afternoon we can work skills. What do you think?"

Payson was distracted by the shape of his lips as he spoke. Images flashed through her mind of the night before, and she could swear she felt his lips on her skin in that moment too. He turned to stare at her, his beautiful lips moving, and she realized he was speaking.

"Payson, are you okay?" Sasha asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. That sounds great," she said, her voice a little strangled. Sasha started to reach for her, and then dropped his hand back into his lap.

"I think Annabelle really needs to focus on getting her DOD as high as possible. I'd like us to work with her on creating a new skill, one that might be named after her in the Code of Points," Sasha finally said. Payson nodded.

"I have an idea," Payson said slowly. She could see the skill in her mind, the perfect one for Annabelle, allowing her to showcase her strength and precision…if she could land it. It also allowed Payson to stop thinking about Sasha for a moment.

"Well?" he prompted.

"She'd have to dedicate a lot of work to it, but what about a Yurchenko with a triple twist?" Payson suggested. She saw Sasha frown.

"A woman has never done a triple twisting Yurchenko. Hell, there are hardly any men that can do it," Sasha said incredulously. Payson smirked at him.

"Don't you think if any of our girls can get it, it's Annabelle? She's got the strength, and the slight build that makes her light enough to get the height she needs. Let us try it, Sasha," Payson begged. Desire flashed in his eyes at the tone in her voice and Payson felt herself blush. She needed to get off that plane.

"Okay. Let's do it." Payson clapped happily and then twisted in her seat, leaning across Sasha to call to Annabelle.

"Annabelle! Come here." As soon as Payson had Annabelle's attention, she realized that she was basically lying across Sasha's lap. A look at his face told her that he realized it too; his jaw was clenched, his fingers were gripping the armrest so hard his knuckles were white, and he was looking anywhere but her. Payson scrambled upright, blushing brighter.

"What's up, coach?" Annabelle asked, crouching in the narrow aisle.

"Payson has an idea for you," Sasha said tightly. Annabelle shifted her gaze to Payson and watched her expectantly.

"How would you feel about working on a triple twisting Yurchenko to take to Johannesburg?" Payson offered. Annabelle's eyes went wide.

"What?" she breathed. "That vault hasn't ever been done by a woman."

"Well, we think you're just the woman to change that. You can do it, Annabelle. It will take a lot of work, and it will probably make you want to quit gymnastics a time or two, but you can do it," Payson promised. Biting her lip, Annabelle nodded.

"Okay, let's give it a shot."

Sasha met Payson's gaze for the first time that day, and they smiled.

#

As soon as the plane landed, Payson made tracks for her parents' house, desperate to see her girl. It was the one thing about travelling now that she would have to get used to, being away from Harper. She'd never been away from Harper for long, and an entire weekend had been almost more than she could take.

"Mom! Dad!" Payson called as she let herself in.

"Backyard, honey!" Kim called back. Payson jogged through the house and out the backdoor, where she spotted her mother sitting on the grass, watching Harper chase a butterfly.

"Mommy!" Harper shrieked when she caught sight of Payson. She scampered across the yard, flinging herself against Payson's knees. Payson scooped her up, hugging her tightly and peppering kisses over her face.

"Hi baby! Did you have fun at Grandma's this weekend?" Payson asked, shifting Harper onto her hip. Harper hugged her neck tightly and nodded.

"We played with puppies!" Harper cried. Payson raised her eyebrows and looked at Kim, who just shrugged.

"We may have gone to the pet store."

"Seriously, Mom?" Payson sighed. She just knew Harper was going to want a dog now.

"How are you holding up, honey?" Kim asked as they watched Harper return to chasing the butterfly. Payson shrugged.

"Fine," she said tightly. Kim did that thing where she just stared until Payson felt every emotion she'd been holding on to rise to the surface. She felt hot tears prick in her eyes and her lip tremble. She didn't want to cry.

"I'm such a horrible person," Payson said, her voice breaking as tears started to slip down her cheeks.

"What do you mean, Payson?" Kim asked, scooting closer to her daughter and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I slept with Sasha. I know how he feels about me, and I slept with him anyway. I'm a terrible person! He deserves so much better than how I'm treating him," Payson cries, hiding her face in her hands. Kim pats her arm and hugs her tightly.

"Sweetie, why don't you just talk to Sasha."

"I've tried, believe me I've tried."

Kim was silent for a few long moments, no doubt processing everything that Payson had told her, and then she took a deep breath.

"Pay, I'm going to say something that might seem harsh, but it's only because I want the best for you. You need to take a long hard look at your life and figure it out. I'm not saying that you can't be hurt by what Jeffrey did to you, you can and you should. But if you love Sasha, you need to suck it up and tell him. You can't let one terrible person like Jeffrey ruin the rest of your life, you're twenty-four years old, you've got a lot of life to go," Kim said. Payson blinked. She'd never been the one who needed someone to tell it to her straight, that had always been Emily and Kaylie. She was the one that did the telling. But apparently things were changing.

"But…"

"But nothing. You've never let your fear stop you before, not for long anyway. Not even after your back."

Payson nodded and swallowed thickly. Could she do it? Could she let Sasha in? Watching Harper play in the yard, she realized she needed to set an example for her daughter, teach her to face her fears no matter what. Fear would not rule her life.

"Thanks, Mom. I should get Harper home." Kim patted her knee.

"You're welcome. Sure you don't want to stay for dinner?"

"No, it's okay. Love you," Payson said. Kim followed her in and helped her gather Harper's things before seeing them off.

The almost the entire drive home Payson thought about what her mother had said; about facing her fears. Hadn't Sasha always helped her through them before? Why should it be any different just because he was her fear? Finally Payson put it out of her mind and turned up the radio, singing along loudly with Harper in the backseat.

When they got home, Payson carried Harper inside, leaving the bags for later. Harper sat herself down at the dinner table and Payson called for a pizza. As she ordered, she noticed several messages on the machine.

"Payson, its Jeffrey. I've been trying to reach you, but since you won't answer or return any of my calls I suppose I'll have to tell you over a voicemail…I bought a house in Boulder, and I'm going to ask for full custody of Harper."

At the sound of her name, Harper looked up, her eyes dancing. Payson felt like she couldn't breathe. That was two bombshells in as many days, and she thought her heart might just give out. Full custody to Jeffrey? Not going to happen.

"Harper, sweetie, go upstairs and play while we wait for the pizza to get here, okay?" Payson asked, barely able to keep her voice from breaking. Harper jumped down and ran happily up the stairs while Payson dialed Jeffrey's cell phone number.

"Looks like I've got your attention, finally," Jeffrey said by way of answering his phone. Payson saw red and her fist clenched.

"Full custody my ass, Jeffrey," Payson hissed.

"I just think Harper would be better off with Rebecca and I, and her little brother or sister. A real family, instead of just her and her single mother." Payson felt like he'd slapped her. His words stung, and they brought tears to her eyes.

"A real family? Your slutty mistress and your bastard child? I will not have my daughter living in that kind of home. Besides, I thought you weren't meant to be monogamous?" Payson felt awful calling a helpless, unborn child a bastard, but right now all she wanted was to hurt Jeffrey like he'd hurt her.

"Rebecca has shown me the error of my ways. We're getting married, just as soon as our divorce is final," Jeffrey revealed. Again, it felt like he'd hit her. She sure was taking an emotional beating.

"That's fine, I don't give a damn what you do, but you will not be bringing my daughter into that house full time. Over my dead body," she promised. Jeffrey chuckled.

"We'll see."

Then he hung up. He hung up on her. Payson barely kept it together as she dialed another number, stumbling through the digits she hadn't had memorized for long. It rang several times before someone finally answered.

"Steve Tanner."

"I just got a call from my husband," she spat like the word tasted badly in her mouth. "He has informed me he's seeking full custody. That had better not happen, Steve," Payson insisted.

"It won't, Payson, I promise you. Courts are usually very deferential to mothers when granting primary custody, unless the father can show some serious evidence that the mother's home isn't the best place for the child. Trust me, Payson," Steve pressed. Payson's hands were shaking.

"I want him buried. I know it's petty, but I want to make this as difficult as possible for him," Payson said through clenched teeth. She could almost hear Steve smiling.

"We can do that."

#

A little while later, as Payson and Harper played with Barbies on the living room floor, the doorbell rang. Harper jumped and ran to the kitchen, standing on her tiptoes and grabbing money off the short table next to the phone, thinking it was the pizza man. Payson opened the door thinking the same thing.

"Payson," Sasha said, staring at her. Payson felt the breath leave her body; Sasha looked fantastic in jeans and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Plus, that look in his eyes…he'd had it all day, like he was constantly replaying the night in his mind. It made her heart race.

"Sasha," she whispered. Harper scampered between them, holding out the money before looking around for the pizza.

"Hey! Where's my pizza?" She asked, frowning. Sasha looked down at her, confused.

"We ordered pizza for dinner, she thought you were the delivery man. Do you want to stay for dinner?" Payson asked. Sasha smiled, and then crouched down in front of Harper.

"Would it be all right with you, Miss Harper, if I stayed for dinner?" Sasha asked. Harper didn't always remember people if she hadn't spent a lot of time with them, and Payson could see that she recognized Sasha, but couldn't quite place him. Hesitantly, she nodded.

"Okay. But you can't eat my pizza. I get a whole piece!" Sasha laughed.

"I promise," he said. Harper skipped happily away, back to her Barbies. Sasha stepped inside and motioned for Payson to follow him into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, about this morning Sasha," Payson said, keeping her voice low.

"Its fine, I understand," Sasha promised.

"Thank you, but that doesn't make the way I acted okay," Payson pressed. "I...last night was incredible, and I don't know that I would've survived if it weren't for you."

"Can I ask you something?" Sasha asked, watching her carefully. Payson nodded.

"Anything."

"I don't understand what's holding you back. You say things like you just said, and tell me how much I mean to you, but you still won't give us a chance. I know it can't possibly be because you think I'll do to you what Jeffrey has done, because you know I would never," Sasha insisted. He closed the distance between himself and Payson, standing so close she had to look up to meet his eyes.

"I know you wouldn't," Payson breathed. "I'm afraid of me. I'm afraid of moving too quickly."

Sasha's hand came up to trace her cheekbone, her jaw line, before it came around to fully cup her cheek. Payson leaned into the warmth radiating from his skin, her eyes fluttering closed.

"So we'll go slowly," Sasha whispered, starting a fire low in her belly. "Let's…date."

Payson smiled up at him and nodded just before his lips sealed over hers.

**A/N: Yay, they're dating! Anyway, a BIG ole thanks to justxsmile, iheartcam, JCI, JacenLukeSolo, Ida-cullen, natalieblack, goalie19, JTellersOldLady, AngelWings8, Elli-Wyatt, mind-the-apostrophe, crazylady789, and BearyFunny66 for your wonderful reviews! **

**Some people have taken issue with how much time Payson doesn't spend with Harper ("on camera" anyway) and that's because I honestly have the WORST trouble writing small children. It's been a long time since I've been around kids under the age of 8 so it's really difficult. But she does show up a little more in the coming chapters. Also, most of you wanted to see Sasha beat the crap out of Jeffrey and, well…just wait for it. I've got plans, don't worry.**

**Thanks so much for reading! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Art of Falling**

"_It's time for a change / It's time for a move / And I know that it's frightening, but it's also exciting"_

"You're on summer vacation, the very last one you'll ever get before you become a licensed medical social worker, and you're hanging around The Rock? That just doesn't seem right," Payson laughed as Kaylie followed her into The Rock on a Monday morning, several weeks after the Miami Elite meet.

"I miss you, Pay, I want to hang out with you this summer. And if that means hanging out at The Rock, so be it," Kaylie shrugged. Payson unlocked the office and set her bag down, turning on the computer and waiting for the gymnasts to show up. Kaylie settled into the small couch and stared at the pictures on the walls.

"Crazy huh? How much has happened?" Payson asked, nodding to a picture of the four of them during Olympic Training Camp. Kaylie smiled wistfully.

"Yeah. Speaking of, how's it going with Sasha and the whole dating thing?" Kaylie asked, wiggling her eyebrows a little bit. Payson laughed, shaking her head.

"Okay, I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess?" Payson sighed.

"I mean, I don't know. We flirt at work, and we have a lot of really great sex, but we don't do a whole lot of dating," Payson explained. It was true, by the time they got done with work each day, Payson needed to spend time with Harper and didn't have much time to date. A few nights a week, after Harper went to bed…so did they. And that was the extent of their "dating."

"Oh Pay," Kaylie sighed. She reached out a grasped Payson's hand.

"Morning ladies," Sasha said, sweeping into the office with a large Styrofoam cup and a bouquet of colorful flowers. He presented both to Payson and leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of her lips. "Morning, love."

"Morning. Thank you, they're beautiful," Payson whispered. She brought the flowers to her nose and breathed in deeply, smiling at the fresh, sweet scent. She looked up at Sasha and he winked at her before heading out to the floor, where gymnasts were trickling in.

"Right, you two aren't dating," Kaylie snorted. Payson shrugged.

"Technically, we aren't going on any dates. Which means we're not dating."

"Payson," Kaylie said. "You're dating."

Payson couldn't help but smile.

#

"Faster, faster, faster!" Payson yelled as Annabelle raced towards the long trampoline across the back of the gym. She wore a harness around her waist so that Payson could catch her if she started to fall onto her neck. Her feet hit the last bit of mat before the trampoline and she threw herself into a round off, jumping high and trying for three full twists. She made it just as her feet hit the tramp again.

"See coach, I'm ready!" Annabelle called, un-strapping the harness and running over to Payson. "Please let me try it on the vault. Please?"

"Annabelle, it's too…"

"Okay then not on the vault! On the floor!" Annabelle pressed.

"You wouldn't get enough height off the floor. Fine we'll work it on the vault, but we're doing it with the harness until I'm positive you won't break your back," Payson sighed. Annabelle shrieked in delight and dove in to hug Payson quickly. She moved to put the harness back on but Payson stopped her.

"Take five, okay Annabelle? Get some water, rest for a second," Payson said, laughing. Annabelle gave her a mock salute and then trotted off the floor to her bag, grabbing her water bottle and squirting some into her mouth. Payson climbed the stairs to the office, where she'd seen Sasha disappear just moments ago.

"How's she coming along?" Sasha asked as she slipped into the office. Payson leaned back against the desk next to his chair.

"Really well. I think she could nail it by Worlds, actually," Payson said.

"You think we should debut it then if she can? Or should we keep it until the Olympics?" Sasha asked. Payson bit her lip and shrugged.

"I guess it depends on how well she's nailing it. I don't think we risk another gymnast being able to master it between Worlds and the Olympics if Annabelle intimidates them," Payson said. That was the key worry; another gymnast seeing Annabelle perform the triple and then being inspired to try it herself. There wasn't enough time between Worlds and the Olympics to master a skill like that.

"Well then I guess we wait and see," Sasha said. He reached for Payson's hand, bringing it up and pressing his lips to the back of it. Payson pulled his rolling chair in front of her and anchored her feet on either side of his thighs, keeping him there. His hands went to her knees, massaging gently and making her squirm.

"That tickles," she giggled. Sasha smiled wickedly, standing up to kiss her. It was a short kiss, but firm and Payson felt it all the way in her toes.

"I want you to come over for dinner tonight," Payson said quietly as they pulled apart. Sasha smiled.

"I'll be there."

Payson left the office, eager to keep working with Annabelle. The young girl waited by the vault, harness already fastened snug around her hips. She laughed.

"Ready to go?" Payson teased.

"I've been waiting for like fifteen minutes," Annabelle huffed. Payson laughed again, because they'd only been on break for five.

"Okay, let's go."

Payson set about hooking the harness to the cables, making sure they were secure. When she was finished, she sent Annabelle to the end of the run. The young gymnast steadied herself and Payson was astounded, once again, at how Annabelle was the perfect blend of all four Rock Rebels. She started running, graceful and powerful, and Payson kept the tension in the cables.

"Mommy!" Payson was caught by surprise at the sound of Harper's voice, but she managed to keep hold of the cables. Her concern was Annabelle, but the girl remained singularly focused on vault at the end of the run. Payson felt Harper curl around one of her legs and she smiled.

"Hi sweetie," she said. She pulled hard on the cables as Annabelle hit the springboard and flew into the air, twisting herself into three turns. She didn't get quite enough height, and hit her bottom on the matt. Jumping to her feet and growling in frustration she started for the end of the run again. "Annabelle, hold on."

Payson let go of the cables and picked Harper up, turning to the door where Jeffrey stood waiting. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who's that?" Annabelle asked. She was breathing hard, but that didn't hide the appreciation in her voice. Payson shook her head.

"My ex-husband."

She crossed the gym to where Jeffrey stood and arched an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. He'd asked to spend the day with Harper, and Payson was supposed to pick her up after work, but it was only just before noon.

"I have to fly back to L.A.," he said with a shrug.

"And you wonder why I think she'd be better off with me," Payson snorted.

"Can you just stop being a bitch and take her?" Jeffrey snapped. Payson's teeth clenched.

"Jeffrey!" Sasha's voice ran loud and clear through the gym, stopping the gymnasts in their tracks. Everyone turned to stare as Sasha marched across the floor to where Jeffrey, Payson, and Harper stood. Payson felt her cheeks burn. "That kind of language has no place in my gym, and neither do you."

"Back off, Belov, this is between me and Payson," Jeffrey hissed. Sasha glared, crossing his arms over his chest.

"When you bring it in to my gym, you make it between all three of us."

Jeffrey shook his head, giving up the fight…for now.

"I'll be back on Friday."

Jeffrey stormed out and Payson breathed a sigh of relief. She watched as Sasha visibly relaxed too and then he reached out to tweak Harper's nose. She giggled and squirmed out of Payson's arms, running to the floor and bouncing around with the level sixes.

"You didn't have to come to my rescue," Payson muttered. Sasha winked at her.

"I can't help it," he said.

"Mommy, watch!" Harper shrieked. Payson and Sasha turned towards the little girl's voice and watched as one of the level sixes held Harper in a handstand. Payson smiled broadly.

"Great job baby!"

"She's a natural," Sasha laughed. Payson looked sideways at him.

"Don't get any big ideas," she warned him. He winked.

"Never."

"Payson!" Annabelle waved from her spot at the vault.

"One second! Harper, want to see Annabelle fly?" Payson asked. Harper's eyes went wide and she scurried over to Payson, slipping her tiny hand into her mom's. Payson smiled over her shoulder at Sasha and led her daughter towards the vault.

Annabelle was still strapped into the harness, waiting. Payson hooked the pulleys into the rings at her hips and then Annabelle moved to the end of the run.

"Why is she on strings?" Harper whispered, half hiding behind Payson's legs. Payson bent her knees, ready to absorb the weight of Annabelle's flying body if she fell, and reached back to ruffle Harper's hair.

"So that I can catch her if she falls." Harper's eyes were glued to Annabelle as the young gymnast ran full speed down the mats. "More power Annabelle! More!"

Payson could see Annabelle put more effort, more strength, into the move. Her hands hit the vault horse with a solid thunk and she flew high into the air, twisting her body as quickly as she could.

"Mommy, she's flying!" Harper shrieked happily. Payson smiled, pulling the cables taunt as Annabelle's heels hit the mat. She wobbled and fell, and then cursed.

"Annabelle, language," Payson reminded her.

"Sorry," Annabelle sighed. Payson smiled softly at her, remembering how frustrating it could be to not nail a move right away.

"It's okay. Listen, why don't we wrap it up for today. Your body needs to rest and you need to focus on something else for a little while," Payson suggested.

"Okay. Thanks coach."

Payson glanced around the gym and then kneeled in front of Harper, smiling.

"Wanna go jump on the trampoline with Mommy?"

#

"Mommy, I want tacos," Harper said as Payson mixed the ingredients for dinner. Sasha had some paperwork to finish up at the gym so she'd gone back home without him to start cooking.

"No, baby, we're having Romanian peppers. You like them, remember? I used to make them for you and Daddy every week," Payson reminded her. Harper thought for a moment, her little nose scrunched up as she tried to recall the meal.

"Oh. Why doesn't Daddy live with us?" Harper asked. The wooden spoon stirring the stuffing stopped and Payson felt her heart begin to pound. So far, Harper hadn't seemed to notice anything amiss so Payson and Jeffrey had just ignored it. Maybe not the best move, but she hadn't wanted to upset Harper if there wasn't really a reason to.

"Sweetie, Mommy and Daddy aren't going to be married anymore," Payson said carefully. She wasn't even sure Harper really understood what it meant to be married or not.

"Why?"

"Because..." Payson stalled, not sure how to explain it. "Because even though we both love you more than anything, we don't love each other anymore. And you shouldn't be married to someone you don't love." Payson had no idea what she was doing. She prayed that she wasn't somehow scaring Harper for life.

"Do you love Sasha?" Harper asked innocently. Payson smiled.

"Yes, sweetie, I love him very much."

That was the end of their conversation. Harper skipped off to the living room to play, and shortly after that, Sasha appeared.

"Smells delicious," he said, coming to stand behind Payson and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned into him, turning her head for a kiss.

"I thought you might like them. Finish everything at the gym?" Sasha let go of her and went the other side of the counter, giving her space to work.

"No, it's never-ending, but I finished enough," he said with a shrug. Payson smiled.

Dinner was a relaxed affair, the two of them just enjoying each other's presence, and Harper's near-constant chatter. Payson had spent so much of the past few months in absolute fear, terrified that somehow she would lose Sasha and it would hurt even more than Jeffrey's betrayal, but now she felt a sense of peace, a rightness that she supposed only came when you found your true soulmate. She shuddered a little at the thought of a "soulmate" in the sappy, epic-romance movie vein, but she guessed it was true. Sasha was her other half.

"I'll clean up while you put Harper to bed," Sasha offered. The heat in his eyes as he said it left no doubt in Payson's mind about what would happen when her daughter was finally asleep. She smirked and nodded, rising to take Harper's hand.

"Come on, baby, time for bed. I'll read you a story first," Payson said. Harper dug her heels in.

"No! I want Sasha to tell me a bedtime story!" Harper insisted. Sasha looked up from the sink, his eyes wide. Payson almost laughed.

"Well, you'll have to ask Sasha very nicely," Payson said, looking at Sasha. He still looked a little panicked, but she knew he would say yes to Harper's request.

"Sasha?" Harper asked quietly, dropping Payson's hand and crossing the kitchen to take Sasha's. "Please tell me a story?"

"All right love, but just a short one. Let your mum get you ready for bed, and when you're all settled I'll come tell you a story."

Harper scampered upstairs, followed closely by Payson, and hurried to change into her jammies. Payson made her brush her teeth and climb into bed before she'd call Sasha up. As he stepped into the room, his fingertips brushed her hip.

"Dishes are done. I'll come into the bedroom when I'm finished with the story," he said softly. Payson nodded and slipped out.

She didn't go far though. She loved to watch Sasha interact with Harper, he was so good with her and he didn't even realize it, but there weren't a lot of times when it was just Sasha and Harper. Payson couldn't resist the urge to eavesdrop.

Sasha sat down on the bed next to Harper and she cuddled into his side, looking up at him with big blue eyes, just like Payson's.

"Tell me a story," she pressed.

"Well, what kind of story?" Sasha asked, stalling. He was digging as far back into his memories as he could to find a story to tell her. He vaguely knew the ones his mother had told him as a child, but he hadn't ever translated them into English and he didn't want to try doing it on the spot, not when the memories were fuzzy already.

"A story about a hero," Harper whispered. Sasha smiled. He knew just the story he would tell.

"All right, lie down and cuddle in the blankets, and I'll tell you a story about a hero." He waited as Harper did as he said, her eyes still glued to his face. "A long time ago, there was a girl. She was the strongest, bravest, prettiest girl in the whole world…"

"What was her name?" Harper breathed.

"Her name was Payson. She had powers that no one else did. She could fly through the air, and jump higher than anyone. But one day, while she was flying, she fell."

"Didn't she have wings?" Harper asked sadly. Sasha nodded.

"She did, but one of her wings was hurt, and she couldn't fly anymore. And when she fell, she hurt her wing even more. People said she wouldn't ever be able to fly again. But Payson wasn't one to listen to what "people" said, so she went to a magician and asked her to heal her wings."

"What happened?" Harper asked. Sasha smiled.

"The magician healed her wings, but she still couldn't fly as high as before. She wanted to very badly, though, so she practiced every day. She worked so hard, and was so brave, but it wasn't working. And then one day, Payson's family was attacked by the evil Ghengi, and the only way to save them was for Payson to fly. So, she stood on the ground, opened her big, beautiful wings, and flew. She flew high, high into the sky, surprising everyone! Even herself. And the evil Ghengi knew that she was no match for Payson's beautiful flight. The end."

"That was a pretty story Sasha," Harper said, sleep clogging her voice. Sasha ran a hand over her hair and smiled.

"A pretty story, for a pretty girl," he whispered. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hair and then pulled the covers over her tiny body as she drifted into sleep.

Payson met him in the hall with tears in her eyes. Immediately he panicked, asking her what was wrong as he led her into her bedroom and shut the door.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. She reached up to take his face in her hands, smiling at him through her tears. "That was a beautiful story you told Harper."

"Every word of it was true. Except for the wings," Sasha joked. Payson laughed and hugged him, pressing herself tightly against him.

The current between them changed in an instant, jumping from tender affection to burning desire. Payson lifted her head, pressing her lips to his as his hands slid down from her back to her hips and beneath her shirt, lifting it over her head. She quickly lifted his shirt off as well, and then scraped her blunt fingernails down his chest, faint red lines appearing in their wake. He growled in pleasure, his grasp on her hips tightening.

She took a step forward, pushing them towards the bed and Sasha followed her lead, backing up until his knees hit the edge of the mattress. Together they fell back, grunting around each other's lips. Then Payson sat up, moving to straddle his hips and pressing down against his pelvis. Sasha threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her lips to his for a deep kiss.

As he pulled away to catch his breath, Payson stilled. She looked directly into his eyes and traced her fingertips over his jaw, down his neck, across his chest, and down to rest her palm over his heart. He covered her hand with his own, looking up at her with questioning eyes. He could feel something happened, something that would change them forever.

Payson bent over him again, resting her lips lightly against his.

"I love you, Sasha Belov."

**A/N: HOLY COW! We're at 90 reviews as I post this and it's all because of YOU! Seriously, you all are amazing, and a special thanks to Anonymous, BearyFunny66, iheartcam, IAMnamingmydaughterPayson, ellimarie84, justxsmile, Ida-cullen, goalie19, Cassie, AndromedaJane, AngelWings8, JCI, and Elli-Wyatt for your review! **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it (even though it took me forever) and I hope you had just as much fun reading it. And to those of you who want to see Steve Tanner do his thing…you'll see it. Next chapter, actually, if I remember my outline right. I also know that you all want to see Sasha just bury Jeffrey, and that their confrontation in this chapter might have been a little lacking in that respect, but I PROMISE that they have more and that you will see major drama go down between those two. Promise.**

**So, do you guys think we can break 100 reviews this chapter? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: F.O.D (Fuck Off and Die)**

"_I'm taking pride / in telling you to fuck off and die."_

"Payson! Just the woman I wanted to see," Steve Tanner called happily as he jogged into The Rock. Payson turned her attention away from Annabelle, who was taking a break from the vault and working on bars.

"Steve?"

"Can we talk in the office? I have some news," Steve said. Payson watched him closely; he was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Keep working Annabelle," Payson said distractedly, heading for the office. The first mediation meeting with Jeffrey and his lawyer wasn't scheduled until the next week, and she and Steve hadn't planned to meet before then. Her first instinct was to panic, had Jeffrey made some other crazy demand? An accusation? "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Payson, nothing's wrong," Steve said, giddy. Payson wasn't sure she'd ever seen him like that. He waved a manila envelope at her and then tossed it down on the desk. "Merry Christmas."

"It's June. This doesn't even qualify as Christmas in July," Payson deadpanned. Now that she knew there wasn't anything to be worried about, she had little patience for Steve. She may have chosen him as her lawyer, but that didn't mean she wanted to spend any more time with him than absolutely necessary. She just wanted the divorce to be over with.

"Just take a look," Steve sighed. Payson picked up the envelope like it might explode in her hands and gently tore the top open. Inside was a stack of big, glossy photos of Jeffrey.

"What is this?" Payson asked, her brow furrowing. She set the envelope back on the desk and started flipping through the pictures. With each one, her heart sank a little farther.

"It's the evidence we need to make sure that you get full custody of Harper," Steve explained. Payson shook her head, not quite believing what was in front of her.

"Steve…where did you get these?" Steve had the grace to almost blush and look away.

"I hired a private detective."

"I didn't ask you to do that," Payson reminded him. "Is this even ethical?" Steve shrugged.

"It's not illegal. And we needed something to keep in our back pocket at mediation," Steve said.

"In case what? He had something on me? There's nothing to find Steve. I don't want this coming out."

"Payson, these pictures…"

"I said I didn't want him to get full custody, I still want him to have visitation. If these pictures come out he'll…"

"Did you know?" Steve asked, interrupting her. Payson was struck dumb. How did she answer that question? Knowledge was a tricky thing; she'd had an idea for the last year or so, but it had never been confirmed and she'd never gone looking for the truth.

"Not really."

"Payson, did you know that Jeffrey frequently engaged in the use of cocaine?" Steve pressed. Payson looked back at the pictures in her hand; pictures of Jeffrey in a crowd of Hollywood's best and brightest, their faces blurred of course, pictures of him looking stoned out of his mind, and pictures of him actively snorting cocaine.

"No," she said firmly. "I thought he might be doing something, it's impossible to mistake the eyes of someone on a high, but I had no idea what and I never had proof."

"We have to bring this out in mediation, Payson. It's not safe for Harper to be in this kind of environment," Steve pressed. "They can limit the amount of time she spends with him, make sure it's always supervised."

"I don't want this for Harper," Payson sighed. She was so torn. Part of her rejoiced at concrete evidence that would keep Jeffrey from anything close to full custody, but the other part mourned what would happen to Harper's relationship with Jeffrey if this were to get out. She did not want Harper turning out like Lauren Tanner did.

"Payson, I've been down this road. It's dangerous, but I know that you can handle it much better than I did. What if Jeffrey has Harper for a weekend and gets wasted at a client's party? What could happen?" Steve pressed. Payson didn't even want to consider the possible outcomes, but she was Harper's mother, it was kind of her job.

"I'm not comfortable with this," she sighed.

"We don't have to count on using it, we'll just keep it as an option," Steve promised. Payson took a breath, chewing on her bottom lip. She picked up the envelope and started to slip the photos back inside at the exact moment Sasha walked in.

"Hey love, everything okay?" Sasha asked, glancing between Steve and Payson.

"Yup," she said, her voice sounding strained even to her own ears. She handed the envelope back to Steve. "We can discuss that later."

"Sure thing. Sasha, Payson, have a good day."

They were silent as Steve left the office before Sasha crossed the room to Payson and pulled her towards him for a kiss. She sighed into his mouth, sagging against him just slightly. She loved how just the softest kiss from him could make her forget all her problems.

"How'd the gymnasts do this morning?" Sasha asked as he pulled away.

"Fine. Annabelle's almost got the triple with the harness," Payson murmured. Sasha traced his fingertips up and down her arms.

"Good. Why was Steve here?" Sasha asked. Payson cursed his clairvoyance. He knew something was wrong, she knew he did, but she wasn't quite sure how much she was ready to tell him. He wouldn't understand her reluctance to use the photos.

"I'll tell you later, at home," Payson promised. "Come on, let's get back to work."

#

Payson was bone weary when she and Harper walked in the door after work that night. She and Annabelle had spent the entire afternoon working on new routines and then she'd argued on the phone with Steve for almost an hour over whether or not to use the photos of Jeffrey in mediation. At this point, Payson was almost certain her stubbornness was coming more from a desire to stick it to Steve than a desire to bury Jeffrey. Although he'd be a welcome casualty she supposed.

Just after she put Harper to bed, Sasha texted her.

_Sasha: I'm on the back porch. Come join me._

Payson smiled and grabbed the portable baby monitor before slipping into flip flops and heading outside. Sasha was sitting on the porch swing, gently rocking back and forth, one arm over the back. Payson sat down next to him and his arm came down around her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his side.

"Hey," she whispered, reaching up to press a kiss to his jaw.

"Hey. Harper asleep?"

"Yeah, she was exhausted. I feel like I haven't seen you all day," Payson muttered.

"I know, The Rock was busy today. Are you ready to talk about what Steve wanted?" Sasha asked. He wasn't pushing to be nosy, she knew, but she still wasn't sure what to tell him.

"He has some pictures of Jeffrey that he wants to use at mediation," Payson started.

"What kind of pictures?" Sasha asked, toying with the ends of her hair.

"Pictures of Jeffrey indulging in…cocaine. On several occasions. Steve wants to use them to make sure that I get full custody," Payson explained. She felt Sasha stiffen at the mention of hard drugs and laid her hand on his knee, squeezing gently in an attempt to calm him down.

"And?" Sasha asked through gritted teeth.

"And I don't know if I want to use them."

"Why not?" Sasha asked. Payson winced at the tone in his voice.

"I don't want to ruin Harper's relationship with her father." Sasha shifted so that they were half laying, half sitting, and tightened his hold on her.

"Jeffrey's doing a damn fine job of that himself," Sasha hissed.

"But at least then it's his fault. What if someday Harper finds out that I had a hand in taking her father away from her? What if she ends up like Lauren? Her mother abandoning her and then finding out that Steve kept her away ruined Lauren," Payson sighed.

"I know, love, but it's not safe for her to be around that kind of environment."

"That's exactly what Steve said," Payson admitted.

"Well then I suppose for once in my life I completely agree with Steve Tanner. Payson, I know it feels like a low move, but it's going to be in everyone's best interest."

Payson sighed. Everyone's best interest? She wasn't so sure.

#

"The purpose of mediation is to see if we can get the contested issues in this divorce settled without going before a judge. It's cheaper, faster, and less messy for everyone involved," the mediator, Jessica, explained. Payson rolled her eyes and sighed. They hadn't been at the mediator's office for more than ten minutes and she already wanted to slap Jeffrey. "So, why don't you give me a little back story?"

"He's a lying, cheating, man-whore," Payson said sharply, like that was all the back story the mediator needed.

"Payson," Steve cautioned.

"I was thinking more along the lines of how you met, how long you dated, when you were married, things like that," Jessica said with a smile, seemingly unperturbed by Payson's sour mood.

"We met just before the 2012 Olympics," Jeffrey muttered.

"How?"

"A premier. We dated for two years and then we were married for four; until I found out that Jeffrey had been cheating on me since basically our wedding day. And now his home-wrecking girlfriend is pregnant," Payson explained. Jeffrey rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"That's the gist of it, I guess," he agreed.

"And what are the contested issues?" Jessica asked, her pen poised over a legal pad.

"Custody," Payson and Jeffrey said in unison. Jessica nodded.

"That's a common issue, one that I'm sure we can work out. Why don't we start with the concerns of each parent, why do you believe your home would be a better place for Harper full time versus the other parent's home?" Jessica suggested. Jeffrey jumped right in.

"Payson is so young," Jeffrey said. Payson snorted. She was only two years younger than Jeffrey. "I'm worried that being a single mom with full custody would overwhelm her. "

"My parents live less than ten miles away, and I have a support system," Payson insisted.

"Yes, a man over ten years your senior that used to be your coach. I'm worried that her _relationship_ with Sasha Belov is setting a bad example for Harper," Jeffrey said. The way he stressed relationship, implying that it was shallow and tawdry, made Payson's fists clench.

"How so?" Jessica asked.

"How is casual sex not a bad example?" Jeffrey asked, like it was the obvious answer.

"Casual sex? Are you kidding me?" Payson cried. "How much casual sex are you having?"

Payson felt Steve's hand on her arm but she brushed him off.

"Payson, let's not get…"

"No. I'm sorry, you can attack my merit as a parent, you can attack my job, but I will not let you attack Sasha when he's not even here to defend himself! Sasha is a better man than you will ever be, and Harper loves him."

"Harper's spent time with Sasha?" Jessica prompted.

"Yes, Sasha is a big part of her life."

"I never said she could spend time with him!" Jeffrey roared, starting to stand out of his seat. Payson snorted and opened her mouth to snap back, but Jessica jumped up first.

"Okay! Why don't we take ten minutes?" Payson shook her head and stormed out, Steve following close on her heels.

"Payson, you need to stay calm," he insisted.

"How can I stay calm when he's…being him? He's trying to make me out to be a horrible parent, when it's him who is the least fit person on the planet to raise a child! I'll be damned if I let him raise Harper."

"I brought the pictures," Steve suggested. Payson shook her head.

"That would just be sinking to his level," she sighed. Steve took her by the shoulders, sinking down a little so he could look her in the eye.

"Pictures or not, Jeffrey will not get custody." Payson nodded, feeling herself calming down, just a little. What she really needed to feel calm was Sasha, but he was watching Harper and she hadn't wanted either of them anywhere near the mediation.

"Fine."

They walked back into the little conference room and Payson sank into her chair, glaring at Jeffrey. He gave her a sneer, and she almost threw her water glass at him.

Jeffrey was scum, and she didn't know how she'd missed it. He had charmed everyone but Sasha into thinking he was perfect. She had fallen for his flowery words hook, line, and sinker. That was what made her angry; not so much that he was a terrible human being, but that she had been dumb enough to fall for it.

"Are we ready to get started again?" Jessica asked, settling into her chair.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase?" Steve asked, sitting forward and resting his elbows on the table. "Payson and I have outlined a custody arrangement that meets our satisfaction, and it's in Jeffrey's best interest to sign it."

"Why in the world would it be in my client's best interest?" Jeffrey's lawyer asked, mirroring Steve's posture.

"We've uncovered some information that Jeffrey probably wants to keep…under wraps," Steve explained carefully. Jessica straitened in her chair.

"That's extortion!"

"I'm not asking him to pay us," Steve shrugged. Jeffrey's lawyer laughed.

"You don't have anything, but let's see this agreement." Steve handed him a packet of paper with the schedule he and Payson had worked out.

"Jeffrey gets one weekend a month supervised by his parents, or Payson, plus Thanksgiving," Steve explained.

Jeffrey snorted. "No."

"Sign the agreement, Jeffrey," Payson hissed.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, I will ruin your life. I'm serious, Jeffrey. You're just doing this to be spiteful, and I will not allow my daughter to live in that kind of environment," Payson snapped.

"And what environment is that?" Jeffrey laughed. Payson made her decision in that moment. Jeffrey needed to know that he couldn't just push her around.

"Everything here is confidential, right?"

"That's right," Jessica said carefully. Payson turned to Steve.

"Show him the pictures, Steve."

Steve looked genuinely surprised, but quickly reached into his briefcase and pulled out the envelope containing the pictures, handing them to Jeffrey. Jeffrey slowly rifled through them, his frown lines deepening with each one.

"What the hell?" he asked. Steve smiled.

"If you don't sign our agreement, these pictures go to the police and you get arrested for possession with intent to sell, and drug trafficking," Steve threatened. Payson shifted, still uneasy with her impulsive decision to use the pictures. The only thing that gave her any comfort was that she wasn't publishing them, or giving them to the police. She was giving Jeffrey the chance to choose.

"Fine. I'll sign it," Jeffrey said through clenched teeth. Steve handed him the agreement and Jeffrey signed it. Then Steve handed it back to Payson, who signed it, and then to Jessica who was acting as their witness.

"I'm not entirely comfortable with this," Jessica said as she signed her name.

"We are," Steve said.

They all stood up and the lawyers shook hands. As Payson left the room, Jeffrey reached for her hand. She stiffened.

"Payson, listen, thank you for not taking those pictures to the police. I just…you remember what it's like; my clients want what they want and I need to give it to them," he explained. Payson looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Jeffrey? Fuck off and die."

**A/N: Okay, so I am SO sorry that it took me a ridiculously long time to post this. This past week was rough, and it just took me forever to get this chapter sorted out. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I promised you Steve would bury Jeffrey, and he did! I definitely played a little fast and loose with legal theory, and I'm not entirely sure anything (including custody of her daughter) would push Payson to use that kind of information, but it was a means to an end. Hopefully you guys understand. **

**Also, THANK YOU as always to Ida-cullen, BearyFunny66, megsd, crazylady789, justxsmile, AndromedaJane, JCI, Elli-Wyatt, goalie19, and klhansen22 for your reviews. You guys rock!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N 1: Oh, you guys are going to hate me. **

**Chapter 10: "Don't Give Up On Us"**

"_Don't give up on us, baby / Lord knows we've come this far / Can't we stay the way we are?"_

"Where are the girls taking you tonight?" Sasha asked, lounging on the bed. Unfortunately for Payson he was fully dressed, although it was probably for the best; she was supposed to leave to meet Kelly, Kaylie, and Emily in ten minutes and a half dressed (or not dressed) Sasha would make that nearly impossible.

"We're meeting at Kaylie's, and from there I have no idea," Payson laughed. She finished fastening her earrings and jumped on the bed, leaning over to press her lips against his. He growled softly, threading his fingers through her hair and holding her close.

Payson pulled away just as the sound of little feet running down the hall reached her ears. Harper burst through the door a moment later, jumping onto the bed and bouncing up and down.

"Sasha!" she shrieked happily. Sasha grabbed her around the waist and tickled her, making her shriek even louder.

"Harper, are you going to have fun with Sasha tonight?" Payson asked, joining in the tickle fight. Harper laughed and tried to squirm away.

"Yes! Me and Sasha are going on a date," Harper said, very matter-of-fact. Sasha tweaked her nose.

"Yes we are," he agreed.

"Be good, okay? Both of you," Payson said, pointing playfully at her daughter and her boyfriend. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Harper's forehead and then reached for her purse.

"Where's mine?" Sasha asked, pouting. Payson laughed and leaned over to kiss him too.

"I love you!" she called as she sailed out the door.

"We love you!" Harper and Sasha called back in unison.

#

Payson knew that spending a quiet evening of quality time with her girlfriends at Kaylie's house was too much to hope for, but she hadn't expected the night the girls had planned.

"Payson…" Kaylie whined. Payson combed her fingers through her hair and winced as she hit a snag. Kelly had done something ridiculous to it, something that no Hollywood stylist had ever subjected her to, and even though it looked great, it itched and pulled like crazy.

"Seriously, Kay, what part of you thought this night sounded like something I'd enjoy?" Payson asked.

"You deserve to celebrate! What better way to do that than dancing?" Kaylie pressed. Kelly appeared behind her, making a sad face.

"Please Payson?" Kelly begged.

"Guys, you know Payson is too boring to go dancing on a night like this," Emily said from her place in the doorway.

"Fine!" Payson groaned. "We'll go dancing."

Payson was met with cheers from her three best friends, and the ushered out the door before she could change her mind. Kaylie drove them across town to the clubs frequented by the college crowds, which technically she guessed they still were. The club was pretty swanky for "broke" college students; with a velvet rope and everything. Of course, they were waved right in.

The music was almost too loud to handle, making Payson want to cover her ears. At least a hundred people were crammed on the dance floor and a hundred more were vying for the bartender's attention; only the prettiest girls with the biggest boobs were getting it. Kelly, Kaylie, and Emily turned to Payson, who was the curviest out of all of them.

"Emily and I will snag a table while you and Kelly get drinks, okay?" Kaylie said brightly, pulling Emily away. Payson couldn't help but laugh. If Payson's breasts couldn't get the job done, Kelly's bitchy attitude would.

"Come on!" Kelly shouted, grabbing Payson's hand and pulling her towards the bar. Payson looked down at the shirt Kaylie had practically forced her to borrow, on Kaylie it would be tastefully low cut, but Payson was practically spilling out of it. The girls had assured her she looked smoking hot, but she felt like she should be pulling the top up every five seconds.

As they approached the bar, Kelly leaned against Payson's back, pushing her forward and smashing her boobs together, and then whistled at the bartender. He turned to face them and Payson blushed as his eyes traveled down to her chest and stayed there.

"What can I get you lovely ladies?" he shouted above the music.

"Four gin and tonics, heavy on the gin," Kelly demanded. The bartender's eyes never left Payson as he quickly filled four glasses. Payson winced at how much gin he poured, and how little tonic.

"Here you go. Start a tab?"

"Yeah, why not?" Kelly shrugged, handing over her card. "We're celebrating!"

"Oh yeah? Celebrating what?" the bartender asked, leaning in close. Other patrons started shouting.

"My friend Payson here is officially divorced!" Kelly threw her arm around Payson's shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"Divorced? What are you, twenty two?"

"Twenty-four," Payson corrected, itching to get away from him. "Well, we'd better get these drinks to our friends, they get kind of grumpy when they have to wait too long."

She grabbed two of the drinks and started walking back towards the table, hoping Kelly would get the hint and follow. She did.

"He thought you were hot!" Kelly cried, giddy. Payson snorted.

"He thought my boobs were hot. Come on, Kelly."

"Come on what? You and Sasha might be all hot and heavy and love-of-the-century and all that, but you can still do some innocent flirting."

"I want nothing to do with flirting. I'm here to celebrate with my girlfriends, and that's it," Payson promised. Kelly gave a little pout.

"Who's flirting?" Kaylie asked as they set the drinks down. Payson rolled her eyes.

"The hot bartender was flirting with Payson," Kelly said.

"Yeah, until he found out that I'm a twenty-four year old divorcee," Payson groused. Emily nudged her with her elbow.

"That's hot! Come on, Pay, we're supposed to be celebrating, not moping," Emily begged. But Payson couldn't help it. It wasn't that she still wanted to be married to Jeffrey, or that she missed him, because she didn't, it was the fact that at just twenty-four her life had fallen apart. She'd been playing wife and mother at an age when most people she knew were in college, out partying and being carefree.

Payson knew that wasn't what she wanted, either. She had never been the kind of girl to enjoy that lifestyle, but a part of her still felt…lost.

"I know, I just…I don't know. I feel like a failure," Payson admitted.

"Oh no, we are not doing this right now," Kelly insisted. "One, you are in no way possible a failure and two, this is a celebration! You're getting your ass on that dance floor if I have to drag you out there myself." The girls pulled her to her feet, draining their drinks, and then forced her to the dance floor.

She had to admit, it was fun. After a few more drinks and a whole lot of dancing with the girls, she was able to almost completely forget her little quarter-life crisis and just enjoy the time with them. It wasn't often the four of them were able to be in the same city, and she made a pact with herself that she was just going to enjoy it.

Payson also had to admit it was nice to enjoy some harmless male attention, something that made her feel like Sasha wasn't the only man in the world dumb enough to be attracted to her. Several guys asked to buy them drinks, which they accepted because who refused free drinks?

They danced for what felt like hours before last call and then Emily, who was perfectly sober, drove them home.

"Thanks, guys," Payson said, getting out of the car at her house. She would pick her own car up from Kaylie the next day, when she wasn't drunk. "You're the best."

"We love you Pay, Pay!" Kaylie giggled.

"Go get yourself some hot lovin'!" Kelly teased. Payson blushed.

The house was quiet, she was certain that both Harper and Sasha were asleep. Tip-toeing up the stairs, she peeked into Harper's room, smiling at her sleeping daughter. The little girl looked like an angel, her fist curled into blanket that had been Payson's. She closed the door as quietly as she could and then moved to her own room.

Sasha was indeed asleep, the sheets draped low over his hip and his chest bare. Payson's mouth watered at the way the moonlight glowed against his skin. She dropped her purse in her closet and kicked off her shoes. Then she peeled off her shirt, standing in the middle of the room in a black lace push-up bra and a black skirt.

"You're gorgeous." Payson jumped, Sasha's sleep roughened voice startling her.

"I thought you were asleep," Payson said with a smile. Sasha propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes traveling her body.

"I was. Come here." Payson crossed the room slowly and then crawled across the bed until she was just inches away. Sasha reached up to trace his fingers over her face and then leaned in to kiss her.

Payson was expecting a slow, sweet, tired kiss, the way Sasha always kissed her first thing in the morning or right after waking up, but what she got was hard and thoroughly possessive, a kiss she felt in every part of her body. He wrapped his arm around her waist, dragging her across his lap and rolling her beneath him, all the while never letting his lips leave hers. She moaned into his mouth, pressing her hips against his.

Sasha moved away from her mouth, kissing down her neck and across her shoulder, unclasping her bra as he went. Then he kissed his way back up to her jaw, pulling away and smiling at her.

"You know, now that you're not technically a married woman, this isn't as exciting," he teased. Payson laughed and smacked the back of his head.

"Shut up and kiss me, you fool."

So he did.

#

"Call me when you land, okay?" Payson asked as she and Harper got out of Sasha's truck in front of Kaylie's house. Sasha was on his way to the airport, flying to New York for a NGO conference, and had dropped them off so that Payson could pick up her car.

"Of course, love. See you tomorrow night." Payson reached up and kissed him through the open window.

"Fly safe," she said. He gave her a wink and pulled away from the curb.

Kaylie wasn't home, but Payson knew she wouldn't be. Kelly had flown back to Miami early that morning, and Emily was spending the day with her brother, so Payson had planned the day to be just her and Harper, even though her daughter had begged to play with her unofficial aunts.

"Sweetie, Mommy has to stop by work really quick, and then we'll go to the park, okay?" Payson asked as she buckled Harper into her car seat.

"Okay!"

Payson drove them to the Rock so she could pick up some paperwork. As she shuffled through stacks of paper on her desk looking for the right one, Harper bounced happily on the trampoline. Payson's hand closed around the form and she turned to watch Harper from the office doorway.

"Come bounce with me Mommy!" Payson jogged down the steps and set her purse and the paper to the side before bouncing onto the trampoline.

"Want to see a trick?" Payson asked, laughing.

"Yes!"

Payson moved around Harper and ran the length of the tramp, throwing herself into a double Arabian. Harper shrieked with glee, clapping her hands together.

"Teach me Mommy!" Harper begged. Payson laughed, bouncing back to Harper and taking her hands.

"How about I teach you to somersault instead?" Payson suggested. Harper's smile was blinding.

"Yes!"

Payson helped Harper learn to roll herself into a somersault, guiding her little body into the perfect position. Harper picked it up quickly, and then Payson started to teach her a cartwheel. She couldn't deny that her daughter had at least some of her natural talent.

"Mommy, I want to be just like you," Harper said as Payson gathered their things almost two hours after they'd arrived. She reached for Harper's hand, smiling.

"Just like me?"

"Yes!" Payson knelt down in front of Harper, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind the little girl's ear.

"How about you be just like you?" Payson suggested.

"Okay!"

#

"Mmm, I'm so glad you're home," Payson sighed as she lounged against Sasha's bare chest.

"Even two days away is too much," Sasha whispered against her hair. Then he sighed. "But I do have to go back to my apartment."

Payson pouted and watched as he started to get dressed before doing the same herself. If Sasha was going back to his apartment, she needed to drop by her mom's and pick up Harper.

"Fine, leave me to sleep in this big bed all alone," Payson teased. Sasha smiled, taking her face in his hands and kissing her forehead.

"I can't wait until we're married someday, and I don't ever have to leave you again," Sasha murmured. Payson froze. Sasha hadn't ever mentioned marriage before, in fact she had thought he was pretty much indifferent to the idea. Which she had been okay with.

She laughed nervously, hoping he wasn't serious.

"Oh, I'm never getting married again," she said. Sasha stepped away from her, his eyes darkening.

"What?"

"Sasha I love you, but I'm never getting married again. Been there, done that, didn't really work out too well for me," Payson said with a shrug.

"So you wouldn't ever even consider marrying me?" Sasha pressed. Payson's heart started beating a little faster. She hadn't expected this kind of reaction from him, and she knew that now she needed to tread carefully.

"I'm saying…why do we have to get married? And, we haven't even been dating six months! It's a little soon to be talking about marriage, isn't it?" Payson asked. Sasha snorted, shaking his head.

"I'm not saying I want to get married right now, Payson, but it would be nice to know that the possibility exists."

"I'm twenty-four years old…"

"And already divorced with a child. You've never acted your age, don't start now," Sasha snapped. Payson winced.

"Sasha, I thought you knew…"

"What? You thought I knew that this was a dead-end relationship? Where are we going, if not marriage?" Payson felt tears welling in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Sasha, but she knew she didn't want to be married again, at least not anytime soon.

"Dead end? Sasha, marriage doesn't have to be the ultimate destination for a relationship!" Sasha shook his head, tossing his hands up in the air.

"I want to marry you, Payson."

"I just got divorced."

"And? I know Jeffrey hurt you, and I think he's pretty much the worst human being on the planet, but I'm not him! When are you going to stop comparing us?" Sasha shouted. Payson took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"I'm not saying that you're Jeffrey!"

"You're treating me like I am. I'm walking on eggshells all the time, Payson, worried that I'll say or do something that will make you think of how much he hurt you. You have to trust me!"

"I do!" Payson screamed, her tears spilling over her cheeks.

"With your heart, Payson. You have to trust me with your heart. If you can't do that…" he trailed off, shaking his head and rubbing a hand over his face. Payson clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to stop crying.

"What? If I can't do that then what?" She asked. Sasha sighed.

"I need to know that we're going somewhere, Payson. I spent the last six years loving you, knowing that nothing would ever change between us because you married Jeffrey. And then when you showed up back in Boulder, I thought it was miracle. We could finally be together. But I'm still loving you from afar! You won't let me close enough to love you, really love you, Payson, and that's a problem," Sasha said, his voice gruff with tears.

"Look, I have baggage Sasha, it's going to take time."

"And I can give you time! I can give you time if I know that someday in the future we'll be moving forward."

"I…Sasha I can't get married again," Payson sobbed.

For a long moment they just stared at each other. Tears were flowing freely down Payson's cheeks and Sasha's jaw twitched with the effort it took to keep his own at bay. Payson could feel him slipping away from her, like sand through her fingers, and she felt powerless to stop it. It was a pain worse than anything Jeffrey could ever have inflicted.

"Sasha," Payson breathed, hiccupping around a sob. She reached out for him, but he twisted and her fingers just grazed his sleeve. She waited for him to say something, anything. Even screaming would have been okay if would just talk to her, but instead he picked up his keys and shook his head before walking out the door.

Payson was left standing in the middle of her bedroom, unable to control her sobbing. And as the sound of his truck driving away reached her ears, she wondered if she'd just lost the only man she'd ever truly loved.

**A/N 2: You hate me, right? I told you that you would. And I'm sorry to do this to you, but it had to happen. Really it did. So, if you must scream at me, please feel free to leave a review. And if it helps, I promise that the Sasha vs. Jeffrey confrontation you all have been begging me for is coming next chapter and it will be EPIC.**

**Also, a gigantic THANK YOU to HopeFlies, JCI, Elli-Wyatt, JacenLukeSolo, Ilovetoreadnwrite, angelwings8, justxsmile, Laura, iheartcam, Ida-cullen, crazylady789, and CaterinaFan159 for your reviews! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Ashes and Wine**

"_Is there a chance? / A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel? / A reason to fight? / Is there a chance you may change your mind? / Or are we ashes and wine?"_

"Payson, open the door!" Payson burrowed farther into the pillows, pulling the blankets over her head. Not only was this her first weekend without Sasha, but it was also Jeffrey's first supervised weekend Harper, so Payson was all alone in her giant house. She wanted to spend the time wallowing in her sadness, not being dragged outside by Kaylie and Emily, who were pounding on her bedroom door.

"Go away!" Payson groaned.

"Payson, you have to get out of bed. You haven't gone to work all week, you've barely spoken to your mom…we're worried about you," Kaylie sighed. Payson squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. They weren't going to go away, and she knew it. Finally she threw the covers away from her body and rolled out of the bed, stomping across the room and flicking the lock. Then she turned on her heel and crawled back into bed.

It was a long moment before Kaylie and Emily ventured in; they were probably stunned she'd actually unlocked the door. Once they did, they crossed slowly to where Payson was laying and knelt on either side of her.

"Payson," Emily whispered, reaching out to brush the hair away from Payson's face. "What happened?"

Payson couldn't stop the memory of the fight from flashing through her mind and she felt tears rising for what felt like the millionth time; her throat ached with the effort of holding them back, her eyes burned. Finally she couldn't keep them in any longer and they started to spill from her eyes and soak into the pillowcase.

"I ruined it. The best thing in my life besides Harper and I ruined it," she sobbed. Kaylie and Emily shared a look of sympathy, one Payson didn't catch, and then they both lay down next to Payson. Kaylie laced her fingers through Payson's and Emily wrapped an arm around her, giving comfort in the only way they knew how. It only made Payson cry harder.

"I'm sure you didn't ruin it," Kaylie whispered. Payson shook her head.

"I did. I ruined it."

"How so?" Emily asked, choosing her words carefully.

"I told him I don't want to get married," Payson wailed, her voice muffled by the pillow. Emily and Kaylie looked at each other, confused.

"Why did that…tell us what happened Payson, from the beginning," Kaylie urged. Just as Payson started to speak, Kaylie's phone rang.

"It's Kelly, I'm going to put her on speaker."

"What the hell is going on?" Kelly snapped. "I've tried calling you like ten times."

"We're with Payson, Kelly, and you're on speaker," Kaylie warned.

"So? What's the deal?"

"Payson was just about to tell us," Emily sighed.

"Let's hear it, Keeler."

"Sasha said he wants to get married someday, I said I don't. It snowballed from there," Payson managed before she dissolved into tears again. Kaylie and Emily shared yet another look, panicked. They had no idea what to do; Payson wasn't usually a weepy person, at least not openly. This was new territory for them.

"Uh, well, Payson," Emily started, trailing off. She had no idea what to say.

"Pay, this is you and Sasha we're talking about. He waited six years for you. He loves you. Just give it some time and go talk to him," Kaylie urged. Payson shook her head.

"I can't. I don't deserve him."

"So you're just going to lie down and die?" Kelly snapped.

"I don't know," Payson groaned. Silence hung in the air.

"Payson Keeler, if you make me fly back to Boulder after I JUST left so that I can drag your sorry ass out of bed, I will kill you. Get up, go to work, and fix it!" Kelly shouted.

"Kelly, maybe we should give her some time…" Kaylie started.

"To what? Wallow? Come on Payson, we all know you're not one to wallow for long. Kaylie, Emily, you better make sure she gets out of bed, today, and then on Monday if I call the Rock and she isn't there, I will beat you all senseless," Kelly demanded. The three girls looked at each other in apprehension before Payson finally sat up.

"Fine," Payson snapped. "Just so you know, Kelly Parker, I hate you."

"You'll thank me later, and I'm okay with that."

#

Monday morning, Payson went into work. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but Kelly's threat to fly all the way back to Boulder was enough to make her get in her car and drive to the Rock. Kelly could be a scary bitch when she wanted to.

Payson timed it so that she would be late, missing conditioning and hopefully any awkward encounter with Sasha. When she walked in the gymnasts were already working and Sasha was across the room, coaching one of the boys on the rings. She ignored the sharp pain in her heart at the sight of him looking just as ragged and worn as she did and jogged quickly up to the office to drop off her purse before heading back out to where Annabelle was waiting.

"Where have you been?" Annabelle asked, glancing over at where Sasha stood. "He's in the worst mood today. Go work your magic."

"What?" Payson asked.

"Whatever it is you do that makes him not the big bad wolf. Go do it."

"Annabelle, there isn't anything I can do," she sighed. She didn't bother adding that it was her fault to begin with.

"But Payson, he's a nightmare!" Annabelle whimpered. Payson frowned, glancing back towards him. He was frowning, his jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. She heard him snap something at one of the male gymnasts and winced. He'd never been very good at keeping his emotions out of coaching; for a relatively closed off man, he wore his heart on his sleeve at the gym.

"He'll be fine eventually. Come on, we've got a lot of work to do."

#

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Marty asked as he and Sasha sat at a bar, drinking more than they should. Sasha frowned into his Scotch like the bottom of the glass held all the answers to his problems.

What was his problem? He had more than one. The first and biggest was that he missed Payson, and all the rest of them stemmed from that. The work week had been torture, the worst hell he could imagine; they hadn't spoken more than a handful of words to each other and every time he tried to talk to her, she got skittish and found an excuse to leave.

"Payson," he groaned. Marty shook his head.

"Last I heard everything was sunshine and roses," Marty said, not sounding at all surprised.

"She doesn't want to marry me."

"You proposed?" Marty cried, nearly dropping his glass in shock. Sasha shook his head, running a hand through his hair and then pulling it in frustration.

"No. I mentioned someday, and she panicked."

"Sasha, buddy, she just got divorced," Marty laughed. Sasha glowered.

"I'm aware, thank you."

"What were you thinking?" Marty asked. Sasha shrugged.

"I was just excited. I've been in love with her for so long and we were finally together and I forgot that she hasn't been in love with me for all that long," Sasha sighed. Marty snorted.

"Yes she has. That girl has been in love with you since she was sixteen."

"What?" Sasha scoffed, sure that Marty was feeding him bullshit.

"No elite gymnast risks their career to kiss their coach on just a crush."

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Sasha grumbled, taking another healthy drink.

"Guess not. So what are you going to do about this little fight you two had?"

For a long time Sasha didn't answer, because he didn't have one. He could push the issue and risk making Payson more angry, he could leave her which just the thought of made him queasy, or he could pretend it hadn't ever happened which he doubted Payson would allow. There was no good choice to be made.

He was about to respond to Marty's question when he noticed someone walk into the nearly deserted bar.

Jeffrey.

"Whoa, Sasha, sit down," Marty demanded in his sternest coaching voice. Sasha hadn't even realized he'd gotten up.

"It would make me feel better," Sasha growled as he sank back onto his stool.

"No, it wouldn't."

Sasha was prepared to let it go; after all if he was going to marry Payson and be Harper's father someday, if they could ever get past the small issue of Payson not wanting anything to do with marriage, he and Jeffrey were going to have to learn to coexist without killing each other. He signaled to the bartender for a refill and ignored Marty's grunt of surprise.

"Sasha!" Jeffrey called, wandering over. Sasha groaned.

"Bugger off, Jeffrey," Sasha said, his words slurred.

"How's my ex wife?" Jeffrey asked, leaning heavily on the bar. Sasha could tell he was already wasted.

"Why do you care, man? Just leave it alone," Marty suggested. Jeffrey snorted.

"Now that we're not married anymore, I find myself missing the sex. Rebecca is…nice, but Payson was dynamite in the sack," Jeffrey said wistfully. "Although Sasha I guess you know that."

Sasha felt his blood pressure rising with every word from Jeffrey's mouth. He had no right to talk about Payson that way, to divulge any of the intimate details of their marriage, especially after everything he put her through.

"Jeffrey, walk away," Sasha growled.

"I mean, damn, I've been with a lot of women, but Payson was one of the best. Top five, for sure," Jeffrey rambled. Sasha couldn't take it anymore. His fists clenched and he lunged at Jeffrey.

Dropping his shoulder, he hit Jeffrey in the stomach, taking him down to the ground. He sat up fast, swinging his fists and hitting Jeffrey in the face, the ribs, the chest. Jeffrey hit back too, though his punches lacked much power. Sasha felt Marty's hands grab at his arms, trying to pull him off, but Sasha flung him away like he was nothing. Jeffrey had had a beating coming for a long time, and Sasha wasn't going to hold back anymore.

Jeffrey got some leverage and pitched to the side, rolling them so that he could get a few solid hits in. Sasha grunted under the impact, but it didn't slow him down. Instead, it spurned him on, making him hit harder and faster. His anger and all the pain he felt over the situation fueled him.

"Sasha!" Marty called. The bartender and another big, burly patron were rushing over, trying to help break up to fight. Sasha scrambled to his feet, pulling Jeffrey up by the front of his shirt and tossing him across the room, into the bar. Glasses fell to the floor and shattered, and Jeffrey cried out in pain. Sasha wobbled a bit, smiling.

"That all you got?" He yelled at Jeffrey. Payson's ex-husband took a moment to gather his strength and then lunged for Sasha, who miraculously managed to stay on his feet. He pushed Jeffrey back and then took a swing at his face, sending him crashing to the floor again.

"That's enough!" Marty shouted, slipping in between Sasha and Jeffrey and planting his hands on Sasha's chest. He prayed Sasha was thinking clearly enough not to hit him.

Sasha didn't hit Marty, but he did spin around him in a move that would make a pro-football player proud and descend on Jeffrey.

Sasha was relentless, raining hits down on Jeffrey like it was nothing. Jeffrey stopped trying to return the hits and started just trying to deflect them. It went on for what felt like forever before several hands were hauling Sasha off.

The drunken, angry haze didn't clear from Sasha's mind until he felt the cold hard metal of handcuffs being secured around his wrists.

"Come on you two," the officer said as his partner cuffed Jeffrey as well. "You can sober up at the county jail."

#

"Mommy, where's Sasha?" Harper asked as Payson handed her a cookie, her "dessert" before bed. Payson frowned, not quite sure how to explain the situation.

"Um…he had to go on a trip for a little while. But he misses you," Payson added, because she knew without a doubt that he did.

"I miss him," Harper said sadly. The phone rang, keeping Payson from having to respond and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Keeler?"

"Yes, this is," Payson said.

"You have a collect call from Sasha Belov at the Boulder County Courthouse. Do you accept the charges?" Payson's heart sank. The only reason anyone would be placing a collect call from the courthouse is if they were being kept in the county jail beneath it.

"Yes," she sighed. After a moment where all she could hear was the static coming over the line, Sasha started talking.

"Payson? I don't have long," Sasha started in a rush. "I'm at the courthouse. Jeffrey and I were in a fight at a bar, they took me, him, and Marty down to the jail."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Payson asked.

"Will you come bail us out?" Payson could tell he was still drunk, slurring just the edges of his words.

"I have to drop Harper at my mom's for the night, it's late. I can be there in half an hour." Payson hung up the phone without waiting for a response and turned to Harper. "Want to go spend the night at grandma's, baby?"

"Yes! Sleepover!" Harper shrieked, jumping up and down and running upstairs to her room. Payson texted her mother a warning that they were dropping by and then followed.

#

"My, uh…friends are being held here for fighting in a bar?" Payson asked the security guard at the main desk. He looked up at her, uninterested until his eyes had time to take her in. Then he grinned. Payson wanted to hit him.

"The three guys?" he asked. Payson nodded. "If they were fighting over you, I can see why it got so messy."

"Can you just tell me what I need to do to get Sasha Belov and Marty Walsh out?" Payson sighed. The guard typed a few things into the computer and read whatever page came up.

"What about Jeffrey Thames?"

"No, just Sasha and Marty."

"Okay, five hundred bucks and I'll take you back to get them." Payson wrote out a check, not really caring about the amount of money, to her five hundred dollars wasn't all that significant. Then the guard took her back, unlocking the main door and leading her to the last cell in the row.

"Guys, your guardian angel is here," the guard said. Payson stared at the three men in the cell; Sasha and Jeffrey were black and blue, Jeffrey worse off than Sasha, and Marty just looked drunk.

"Payson!" Marty cried happily.

"What am going to do with you?" Payson asked, her question clearly directed at Sasha. He looked up at her, his eyes tired and sad, but didn't answer.

"Thanks Payson, let's go!" Jeffrey cried, jumping to his feet. Payson leveled her most intimidating stare on him.

"If you think I'm bailing you out of jail, you are even more delusional than I thought you were. If you want out of here, call your girlfriend," Payson snapped. The guard opened the door to the cell and let Marty and Sasha out.

"I'm going to call a cab. Thanks Payson," Marty said sincerely, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

"You're welcome, Marty."

Sasha climbed in the car and Payson started towards his apartment, and still they didn't say anything. It was not a fun car ride. Finally they got back to Sasha's apartment.

"Thank you," Sasha said quietly. Payson turned off the engine and started to get out of the car. "You don't have to come up."

"You can't wrap those hands yourself. Don't be a baby," Payson warned.

As soon as they got inside, Payson went straight for the first aid kit and started to tend to Sasha's hands. He sat quietly, not meeting her eyes. She hadn't felt this on edge around Sasha since after she first kissed him all those years ago.

As she wrapped Sasha's second hand, his first one drifted up to her hip, his thumb rubbing back and forth slowly. Payson closed her eyes, trying to ignore the thrill that spiked through her at just the smallest touch.

"Payson," he whispered, his voice ragged. Payson could hear the desire in his voice and stepped back before she could get lost in him.

"There you go, all set."

"Payson, wait," Sasha said, grabbing her hand as she moved away.

"Sasha, I can't…"

"I don't want to push you, but I need to know; is there any chance you might change your mind, even if it's years from now?" Payson wasn't sure how to answer that question. No part of her could see changing her mind, even in the future, but that didn't mean she wouldn't. But the last thing she wanted to was to string Sasha along if she didn't.

"I can't make promises about the future, Sasha, but right now? No."

Sasha's hand dropped from hers and he looked away sadly.

"Then I guess we're over."

**A/N: I know this chapter is kind of short compared to the others, but I wanted to get this posted as I'm on vacation and have only very limited internet access. Hope you guys enjoyed it, even if it was a little heart wrenching! And didn't I tell you that Jeffrey getting his butt kicked would be worth it?**

**Thanks as always to my wonderful reviewers: HopeFlies, JCI, justxsmile, poppetrussell, Idacullen, AngelWings8, Laura, HarryPotterFan2010, crazylady789, Kiwiflea, Elli-Wyatt, and BearyFunny66.**

**Review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Take It All**

"_I will change if I must / Slow down and bring it home / I will adjust / Oh, if only / If only you knew / Everything I do is for you."_

"This is ridiculous," Kelly snapped, reaching out and smacking her computer. Austin Tucker winced.

"They're both as stubborn as people can get, KP. It's done, you have to get over it," he said carefully, hoping she wouldn't turn her anger on him.

"It is _not_ done. Payson just needs someone to knock some sense into her, and I don't know why the two who are actually in Boulder with her can't do it!" She growled again and Austin couldn't help but think she was damn sexy when she was mad, especially if it wasn't directed at him.

"I know you think Payson needs you twenty-four seven, but she's a big girl. If she doesn't want to marry Sasha, there's nothing you can do," Austin reminded her. Kelly turned her glare on him.

"Payson doesn't know what she wants. I'm flying to Boulder, okay?" Austin knew she wasn't so much asking permission as telling him her plans. He sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead.

"Fine. How long will you be gone?" Austin asked. Kelly shrugged, her finger rapidly clicking against the computer keys as she purchased a plane ticket to Boulder.

"As long as it takes."

Austin stood up, shaking his head and smiling. Coming around to her side of the desk, Austin leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head.

"Hurry home, okay? I've been missing my girl." Kelly waved him off with a smile.

#

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Sasha officially ended things with Payson, and she'd hated every day of living life without him. Things at the gym were tense and uncomfortable, the gymnasts were starting to notice that something was seriously wrong, and the nights spent alone were just depressing. It didn't help that Harper asked Payson every day when Sasha would be back from his trip. Payson still didn't have the heart to tell her little angel that Sasha wasn't going to be coming around anymore, and maybe part of her hoped that she wouldn't have to, that all this would blow over and Sasha would change his mind.

Payson sat in her office chair, watching as Sasha ran the gymnasts through a particularly brutal conditioning circuit. They'd both been rough on the athletes since their split, using the quickly approaching Worlds as their excuse, and part of her felt badly for them. The gym certainly wasn't a fun place to be anymore.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the gyms double doors flying open, clanging against the wall. She winced at the sound, ready to tell off whatever over-exuberant teenager had been so careless, when she heard the hush fall over the gym. The name she heard the gymnasts whispering made her groan.

"Payson Keeler, you are such a dumb bitch," Kelly snapped as she stormed into the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I'm sorry, what?" Payson asked with a short laugh.

"How have you let this go on for so long? Huh? You know exactly what you need to do to get Sasha back! It would be so easy!" Kelly raged. Payson frowned.

"It would be easy if I were willing to lie to him! Kelly, I can't tell Sasha what he wants to hear because it wouldn't be true. It's not as simple as you make it sound. What are you even doing here?"

"I'm here to make you stop acting like a crazy person. That's my job, remember? Get your shit together, Keeler."

Payson sighed, shaking her head. The last thing she wanted to do was hash it out with Kelly in the gym office, but she knew that her friend wouldn't let her get out of it. Maybe that was why Kelly was actually her best friend.

"I don't know what you want me to do," Payson admitted.

"I want you to tell Sasha you'll consider marriage! That's all it would take. You don't have to land on yes, as long as he knows you'll think about it!" Kelly insisted. Payson could see her practically shaking with frustration and anger, and wondered why in the world Kelly was so invested in her love life. It was her mistake to make, not Kelly's.

"I would be lying to him, Kelly, and he deserves better than that. Even if it hurts. Why do you care so much anyway?"

"Did you really just ask me that? I care because you're both my friends, because I want to see you happy, and because you're both being stupid!" Kelly huffed. Payson narrowed her eyes, knowing that wasn't all there was to it. Kelly wilted under her stare and threw her hands up. "Fine, that's not all. Look, ever since Sasha showed up in Boulder, like, eight years ago, you two have had this connection. You were always in love with each other, everyone knew it. That's why it blew up when you kissed him, everyone knew that there was actually something between you two, even if you didn't."

"Okay, so we've been in love with each other for a long time. So what?" Payson pressed.

"It's not about that," Kelly huffed, waving her hand dismissively. "Even when you weren't together, you were more together than any other couple I've known. You…you gave me hope, okay? You know my parents had a shitty relationship so I never really had a shining example of what true love is, until you and Sasha came along. Austin and I wouldn't have made it nearly this far if it weren't for you two."

Payson snorted at the mention of Austin's name. He and Kelly were dysfunctional at best.

"Speaking of Austin, tell me this; if you're such a champion of considering marriage as an option, why do you tell Austin no every time he asks?" Kelly faltered for a moment before violently shaking her head.

"Don't change the subject…"

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are." Kelly was interrupted again when Sasha stormed in.

"I don't know what the bloody hell you two are going on about in here, but it's distracting the gymnasts. Take it outside," Sasha snapped. He turned to leave again but Kelly reached for his arm, catching him by the sleeve of his shirt.

"Oh no you don't. You two have some serious issues to discuss. I'll take care of your gymnasts."

"Kelly," Payson hissed warningly.

"Have fun!"

And then it was just Payson and Sasha, staring awkwardly at the floor, the walls, anywhere but at each other. Payson let her head fall into her hand and massaged her forehead.

"I'm sorry. She…"

"She means well, I'm sure," Sasha offered. Payson nodded.

"Right."

"She's pretty angry with us," Sasha said. Payson snorted.

"Yes she is."

They sat in silence for a few moments, both waiting for the other to speak. Payson opened her mouth once, begging herself to do as Kelly had said, to do whatever it took to get Sasha back, but she couldn't. She'd meant what she'd said to Kelly, Sasha deserved better than a lie.

"We'd better get back out there," Payson finally said, standing from her chair. Sasha nodded hesitantly.

"You don't think she'll kidnap us and tie us up somewhere, do you?" he teased. Payson smiled for the first time all day.

#

"Annabelle, you have got to focus!" Payson insisted as Annabelle hit a shaky landing on her triple. The young girl stamped her feet, throwing a mini-tantrum, and then took a deep, ragged breath.

"I'm sorry!"

"What's going on?" Payson asked.

"It's this gym, Payson. Everything is so…tense. I can literally feel it, crushing down on me. The pressure…"

"Pressure is a part of the sport, Annabelle. If you think this is bad, wait until the Olympics."

"No, no, not that kind of pressure."

Payson sighed. She knew exactly what the girl was talking about; the thing between her and Sasha was creating an absolutely stifling atmosphere in the gym, making it hard to breath. She'd seen more than one gymnast falter under the pressure.

"It will get better, Annabelle, I promise." She hoped she wouldn't make a liar out of herself.

#

"I can't believe you flew all the way here, Kelly," Kaylie laughed as the four girls sat around a high top table at some local dive bar.

"Well someone needs to get Keeler's head in the right place, and you two certainly aren't getting it done," Kelly snapped, gesturing between Kaylie and Emily.

"Hey!" Emily protested. "I'm only here when Damon is on tour, Kaylie is the one who's home for the entire summer."

"Which is almost over," Kaylie reminded them. Payson groaned, listening to her friends bicker about her love life.

"Can we just put a moratorium on my issues with Sasha for tonight, please?" Payson begged. Kelly huffed.

"Hell no," Kelly cried. "Until you're prepared to stop being stupid, you can deal with my hounding."

"Kelly…" Payson sighed. Kaylie reached over and put a hand on her arm.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Kaylie asked. Payson nodded, defeated. Her friends weren't going to leave her alone any time soon.

"Go ahead."

"I guess I just don't understand why you're so dead set against considering marriage again," Kaylie said. "And we can all see how miserable you are without Sasha."

"I don't want what happened with Jeffrey…"

"That is such bullshit!" Kelly interrupted. "You're just being a coward, and you're being stubborn."

"I am not," Payson whined, feeling a bit like a petulant child even thought she knew it was true. There was no evidence to suggest that what had happened with Jeffrey would happen with Sasha; he was a good, kind, honest man. He was a good father, even though the role had been thrust upon him without his asking for it. And he was the love of her life.

"Payson, you're the only one who can make this decision but for the record? We all think you're making a mistake," Emily offered. Payson shook her head.

"You all can think what you like."

"Payson, come on," Kelly begged.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight. Either shut up about it or take me home."

#

Payson was working out on the low beam, long after everyone had gone home for the day. Harper was with Jeffrey's parents for the one weekend of supervised visitation, leaving Payson all by herself. The workout was a sufficient distraction; exactly one month had passed since she and Sasha broke up and every day it was harder to be around him without throwing herself back into his arms.

"You're getting sloppy in your old age." Payson nearly fell from the beam at the sound of his voice.

"Am I?" she challenged, completing a flawless aerial cartwheel. He crossed the gym, coming to stand beside the beam. For a moment Payson felt as though she were sixteen again, training for the Olympics.

"Can you still do that Double Turn?" Sasha asked. Payson frowned a little. This was as close as they had been outside of the workday in weeks.

"Of course I can, it's my signature move," Payson scoffed. Taking a deep breath and tightening her core, Payson launched herself into a double turn, extending her leg perfectly horizontal to the beam. Before she did it at the 2012 Olympics, no other gymnast had done it in International competition. She wobbled a little bit and Sasha's hands immediately went up to steady her.

The feel of his fingers against her back and stomach made her gasp. She could feel the heat of his hands against her skin through the thin tank top she wore, almost like there was nothing separating them. Payson turned her head to look at him and the desire in his eyes set her belly on fire. Without warning he pulled her from the beam and into his arms, pressing his lips to hers.

Payson sighed into the kiss, clutching his shoulders and opening her mouth beneath his. His tongue swept inside to tangle hers and he pulled her closer, allowing no space between them.

Together they sank to their knees before Sasha twisted, forcing her back and hovering above her. He kissed down her neck at the same time his hand slipped beneath her tank top, his fingers flexing against the skin of her stomach. Payson sifted her fingers through his hair and then grabbed a fistful, holding him to her and arching beneath him.

"Sasha," she breathed. "I missed you."

His entire body froze and Payson cursed herself. Slowly, Sasha's hand pulled away from her skin and he rolled off of her, sitting up and putting some distance between them. Payson bit her lip, hoping the pain would shock the tears out of her eyes.

"That shouldn't have happened," Sasha said, his voice rough. Payson cringed, shaking her head.

"Sasha…"

"I think…I think I need to take a leave of absence," Sasha said carefully. Payson's heart nearly stopped before it began thundering in her chest, rattling her ribcage.

"What?" She gasped. Sasha nodded solemnly.

"I can't be around you right now. I need time for it to sink in that we aren't together anymore, and that can't happen when I still see you every day. The gymnasts are nearly ready for Worlds and I have no doubt you can get them there, and I'll be back in plenty of time for the start of the Olympic year. Think of it as an extended vacation," Sasha explained, sounding sadder than she'd ever heard him.

"Sasha, you can't leave," Payson insisted.

"I have to. It won't be forever, I promise."

"When?"

"I'll tell the gymnasts tomorrow, and my absence will start the day after." Payson reached for his hand, tightening her grip when he tried to pull away. She couldn't help but remember how she'd felt when he left her after Worlds all those years ago, and the same feelings were amplified now. She couldn't lose him.

"Sasha…"

"I'm sorry, Payson."

Sasha pulled his hand from hers and climbed to his feet. He stood still for a moment, not looking at her, but not walking away either. Payson held her breath, hoping he would reconsider. Instead, he walked away.

Payson sat, still and silent, for a long moment. Part of her didn't believe that he would actually leave, and the other part of her was terrified that he would, that this was her last chance to fix everything. She knew that if she allowed him to actually take a leave of absence, she would lose him forever.

"Sasha," she whispered, staring at the doors he'd just disappeared through. Then she scrambled to her feet and hurried out the door. She didn't know what she would say, or if she could ever really get married again, but she did know that she couldn't lose Sasha. A life without him was not one she wanted.

"Sasha!" He kept walking for a few steps before he stopped, keeping his back to her. After a long moment he turned to face her, his features glowing under the moonlight. He waited.

Payson ran to him, desperate to make him stay. She jumped into his arms, trusting him to catch her, and grabbed his face in her hands, kissing him deeply.

"Don't go. Please. I'll change, I'll be different."

"Payson," he sighed, setting her down and prying her hands away from his face. "I don't want you to have to change who you are for me."

"That's not what I mean. I mean…look, I can't know how I'll feel about marriage a year from now, two years from now, whatever, but I do know how I'll feel about you. I don't ever want to live my life without you. I love you, Sasha Belov. Please stay with me."

Sasha took a deep breath and for a moment Payson thought he would say no. Then a slow smile spread over his face.

"I'll stay."

"Really?" Payson cried, giddy. Sasha leaned in and kissed her slowly.

"Really. I'll stay forever if you'll let me."

**A/N: THANK YOU to LauraW89, threewishes6716, crazylady789, JTellersOldLady, and anonymous for your reviews! **

**As always, leave a review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: With Or Without You**

"_Through the storm we reach the shore / You give it all but I want more / And I'm waiting for you / With or without you / I can't live / With or without you"_

"Sasha!" Harper shrieked, flying into his arms the moment Payson opened the front door. He swung her up into his arms, hugging her tightly and planting a kiss on her cheek. He and Payson had been officially back together for almost two weeks, but he hadn't been able to spend much time with Harper.

"Hello, Puiule," Sasha said warmly. Payson smiled at the endearment.

"Are you sure you're okay staying with her tonight?" Payson asked. Sasha nodded, laughing as Harper grabbed his face between her little hands and gave him an Eskimo kiss, rubbing the tip of her nose against his.

"Of course. Kelly's leaving in the morning?"

"Yeah. Good thing too, I think Austin was ready to hop a plane," Payson laughed, digging in her purse to make sure she had her keys.

"And Kaylie?" Sasha asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon. School starts back up on Monday."

"Give them hugs for me," Sasha said. Payson nodded, leaning in to kiss him. She chose to ignore the tightness in his lips as he returned it.

"I love you. Harper, be good for Sasha okay? And I love you too."

"Love you, Mommy!" Harper called after her. Sasha stood in the door with Harper on his hip and they watched as Payson hopped in the Lexus and drove away to meet the girls. When the car was out of sight, Sasha turned to Harper.

"What would you like to do tonight, puiule?"

"That's not my name!" Harper giggled. Sasha laughed.

"It's my special name for you; it means you're my little cub," Sasha explained. Harper giggled, hiding her face in his shoulder. "So, my little cub, what shall we do?"

"Go to the Rock!" Sasha laughed, not at all surprised that Harper wanted to go to the gym. The little girl was in love with gymnastics, just like her mother. Anytime he or Payson gave her the option, she wanted to go to The Rock. And she wasn't satisfied with somersaults and cartwheels anymore, she wanted to learn handsprings and aerials, even though her toddler body couldn't handle it yet.

"All right, we'll go to The Rock." Sasha set Harper on her feet and she scurried away to get her shoes.

The moment they set foot inside The Rock, Harper ran straight for the low beam, jumping onto it and twirling around. Sasha couldn't help but see Payson in her as she focused intensely on putting one foot in front of the other. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked up suddenly, straight at him, and waved. He waved back and gave her a smile.

Sasha wasn't sure he'd ever wanted to be a father, his gymnasts were enough like children that he hadn't ever felt an overwhelming desire to have children of his own, but Harper had captured his heart and soul, and now all he wanted was to be her father and have more children with Payson. She made him want that storybook life he'd always thought would be so boring; a wife, a real house, two point five kids, a dog, and even a picket fence. Of course if Payson wouldn't marry him, he didn't want any of it.

Marty had told him that he was being old-fashioned and overly stubborn, insisting on marrying Payson. He'd taken the same stance Payson had, that there were ways to move a relationship forward without getting married and that they didn't have to be to have a real family. Sasha saw the point in that, he really did, and in his younger days he wouldn't have spared a second thought towards marriage. But with Payson it was different. She made him want those things. He didn't want to be just her boyfriend, he wanted to be her husband. Apparently she didn't.

"Sasha watch!" Sasha shook himself from his own thoughts and turned his gaze on Harper, who jumped into the air and twisted all the way around, landing firmly on the little beam.

"Getting ready for the 2032 Olympics, puiule?" Sasha asked with a laugh. Harper nodded firmly.

"I'm going to be a champion, like you and Mommy!" Sasha wondered for a moment how Harper could possibly understand that he and Payson were Olympic gold medalists, and then pushed the thought aside. She probably didn't really grasp the concept, and even if she did, it didn't matter.

"Yes you are, Harper. Yes you are."

Harper moved to the trampoline to "train" though she was really just jumping around and practicing her forward rolls and Sasha sat down on the stairs leading up to the office, watching her and thinking about Payson.

They'd been back together two weeks and nothing had changed, although he wasn't sure he expected it to. Short of getting married, he didn't think much could change, but he had expected to see some sort of change in Payson's attitude. Instead, she seemed to be acting like nothing had ever happened. Back to the honeymoon phase. She'd promised him she would think about marriage, but a part of him was certain she'd just said what she knew he wanted to hear to keep him from leaving. And he'd gone for it; he'd believed that because she'd said it, she meant it. Sometimes he thought he was a bloody fool.

He hadn't noticed Harper bouncing over to the stairs until she practically jumped on top of him. He laughed, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Having fun, puiule?"

"Yes!" She cuddled into his side and yawned and Sasha knew it was probably time to take her home and feed her dinner so that she could go to sleep. She turned her big blue eyes on him, blinking slowly.

"Sasha, are you my Daddy?" Harper asked. Sasha felt his breath catch; he hadn't been prepared for her to ask that question and he was a little uncomfortable answering it without Payson to guide him.

"Well, Jeffrey is your Daddy, but if you want me to I can be your second Daddy."

"Yes, yes!" She cried, giddy. Sasha laughed. Harper turned serious again.

"Where did you go?" Harper asked. Sasha frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You were gone a long time. Mommy said you went on vacation, but I don't think you did." Sometimes Sasha was astounded by how intuitive Harper was, even at just three years old. He took a deep breath, trying to decide how to answer the question.

"There were some thing that I needed to figure out, and it kept me away for a little while. But I'm back now," Sasha attempted. He knew it was reaching, but she was three, she would believe it. He hoped. Just to be safe, he changed the subject. "Ready to go home and eat dinner?"

"Mhmm," Harper agreed. "Sasha, are you and Mommy going to get married?"

"I don't know, Harper. I hope so."

#

Sasha sipped his Scotch and flipped slowly through the pages of _The Brothers Karamazov_, but the words weren't holding his interest. His mind kept drifting to Harper and Payson, and what an integral part of his life they had become. By the time Payson walked back in the front door at almost one in the morning, Sasha wasn't even pretending to read.

"Hey, love, how was your night?" Sasha asked as Payson dropped herself into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into his shoulder.

"Mmm, good. I'm going to miss having all the girls in town," Payson muttered into his skin, pressing a kiss to the juncture between his neck and shoulder. He felt lust flare through his body and tightened the hand that rested on her knee.

"They'll be back soon," he assured her, toying with the ends of her hair. She pulled her head from his shoulder so that she could look him in the eye; for the first time ever Sasha felt as though he had no idea what was going on inside her head. She smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the lips.

As soon as her lips brushed against his, Sasha's hand went to the back of her head and held her against him. He felt her try to pull away for a fraction of a moment before he flicked his tongue out against her lips and she sank into the kiss, opening her mouth beneath his. Sasha's free hand went to her back, urging her to shift her position and straddle his knees, which she did without hesitation.

Sasha pulled her tightly against him, holding her like she would slip through his fingers if he didn't anchor her to him. She didn't seem to mind, rising up a little to press herself closer and threading her fingers through his hair.

"Take me to bed, Sasha," Payson gasped against his lips. He picked her up and carried her up the stairs, stepping carefully.

As he undressed her, Sasha realized how often they'd been having sex since getting back together. Though their sex life had been healthy before the break-up, they'd always balanced it with nights spent cuddling and watching movies, or talking, and being truly intimate. Post-reunion, all the true intimacy to their relationship had gone out the window. Marriage was the elephant in the room, and sex was the big sheet they threw over it.

"Hey, where did you go?" Payson asked, breathless, putting her hands on his cheeks and forcing his face up to hers. He stared at her for a moment, wishing he'd never let Jeffrey get a hold of her heart. It should have been his to protect all along.

"Right here," he rasped.

"Then kiss me like you mean it."

#

"Keep working that core, Annabelle! If you want to land your triple by Worlds you're going to need rock solid abs," Payson yelled as she worked the girls through a conditioning circuit.

"You…suck," Annabelle gasped, tightening her stomach muscles and lifting her legs higher. Payson laughed.

"Yeah, you thought you would get off easy with Sasha in Houston, huh?" Payson teased. He had flown to Bela Karolyi's camp near Houston for an annual coaching conference. When he'd first told her he was going, she'd balked at the idea; they had been back together for three weeks and he was leaving for a long weekend? She thought it was a little soon to be spending time apart like that, but then she realized maybe it was a good thing. There had been some tension between them since getting back together that she had tried her best to ignore, and maybe a weekend away was just what Sasha needed. Maybe when he came back everything would be fixed.

"Who's that guy?" Annabelle huffed, jerking her chin towards the front door. Frowning, Payson turned to see who had come in.

Marty.

"Hey Marty," Payson called warmly, giving him a wave.

"Hey Pay. Got a minute?" Payson nodded and turned back to the gymnasts.

"Okay guys, starting working through your rotations; I want everyone focusing on their weakest apparatus today. Jake and Tara will be on the floor keeping an eye on you, and I will be watching from the office," she warned. She smiled at the nervous twitter that went through the group and then turned to follow Marty up the stairs.

"Wow," Marty said once she'd shut the door. Payson frowned, confused.

"Wow what?"

"You sounded like a real coach," he teased. Payson rolled her eyes.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you Marty, but what do you want?" Payson sat down in her chair and motioned for Marty to take Sasha's. He sank down, rubbing his hands together like he was composing a speech in his head. Payson knew the look well from her years as his gymnast. "Spit it out."

"Do you love Sasha?" Marty asked. Payson frowned.

"Of course I do, Marty. Why would you ask me that?"

"Fine, maybe you love him, but I don't think you appreciate him. That man is so head over heels, stupid in love with you that he would literally die for you, did you know that?" Marty asked. Payson had never heard him talk like this, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"What's your point?" Payson growled. Marty sighed.

"I just want to make sure you know what you're going to lose if you lose him," Marty said with a shrug. Payson's frown deepened.

"Marty, what are you talking about? Sasha and I are back together, everything's fine," Payson insisted, even as doubt started gnawing away at her insides. Marty shook his head and stood up, heading for the door.

"Everything's not fine and you know it, Payson."

#

"Momma, play with me!" Harper demanded. Payson blinked, clearing her head of the thoughts that had been plaguing her since Marty's little visit to the gym.

"Sure sweetie," Payson said absently, sinking to her knees next to Harper on the living room carpet and picking up a large tiger figure. Payson had been adamant about Harper not having Barbies, so when she was born Mark and Kim had bought a large packet of safari animal figures. Of all the toys Harper had been given over the few years she'd been alive, those animals were her favorites.

Payson mindlessly moved the figures as Harper directed, supplying a funny voice ever once in a while, but she couldn't focus; her thoughts were on Sasha. Had Marty been right? Was she losing Sasha? The thought made her almost physically ill. She had to find a way to reassure him that she wanted to move forward with him, even if that didn't mean marriage yet. She just wasn't quite sure what.

"Mom! Who's at the door?" Harper asked, sounding exasperated in the way only a three year old could. Payson hadn't even heard the knocking until Harper reached over and started patting her hard on the knee.

"I don't know, let's go see." Together the two Keeler women stood up and went to answer the door.

"Daddy!" Harper shrieked, jumping into Jeffrey's arms. Payson clenched her teeth to keep from killing her ex husband.

"What are you doing here, Jeffrey?"

"Taking my little bugaboo to the zoo," Jeffrey said, tickling Harper, who squirmed.

"No! I'm not bugaboo," Harper insisted. "I'm puiule."

Payson smiled at her halting pronunciation of Sasha's nickname for her, but Jeffrey frowned.

"Well do you want to go to the zoo…puiule?"

"Only Daddy Sasha can call me that. And I guess Mommy. But I do want to go to the zoo," Harper chattered, oblivious to her parents' reaction. Payson's heart stalled in her chest; she had never heard Harper refer to Sasha that way before, and Sasha had never mentioned it either. She wasn't even sure where Harper got the idea, but she couldn't deny how good it sounded to her ears. Jeffrey, of course, was livid. Payson could see the muscles in his jaw bunching, and the vein in his neck throbbing the way it did when he got really angry.

"Honey, I'm not sure the zoo is a good idea," Payson said carefully. Jeffrey glared.

"But I want to go to the zoo!" Harper protested, sticking out her lower lip.

"We will go to the zoo. Go get your coat," Jeffrey demanded, setting Harper down on her feet.

"Jeffrey, you can't just show up here and take her somewhere! It's a violation of our custody agreement…"

"The one you practically extorted me into signing? Sorry Payson, but I want to see my daughter."

"You should have called me first. That was really low, just showing up and knowing that I would look like the bad guy if I said no," Payson hissed.

"I don't know why you're so worried about me being around Harper, I've never been…compromised around her," Jeffrey insisted. Payson had to admit that he was right, and that she knew he wasn't a drug addict, but there was a first time for everything. "And why, by the way, is my daughter calling Sasha Daddy?"

"Probably because he's more of an actual father to her than you are. I will let you take her to the zoo just. This. Once. The next time you drop by like this, I'll go to a judge," Payson warned. Jeffrey rolled his eyes and she wanted nothing more than to smack him. She opened her mouth to say more but Harper came bounding back into the room, happily jabbering about the zoo.

"Bye Mommy!" Harper called as Steve carried her out to his car.

"She is to be back by five, Jeffrey, and not one minute after!"

Payson watched Jeffrey pull out of the driveway and prayed to whatever God might be out there that her daughter would be okay. As soon as they were out of sight, Payson reached for the phone and dialed a number she had hoped she was done using.

"Steve Tanner," he answered crisply.

"Steve, its Payson."

"Payson? Is everything okay?"

"Sort of. I mean, Jeffrey just violated our custody agreement by showing up out of the blue and taking Harper to the zoo, but he wasn't high, so I let her go. But I do have a question for you," Payson said.

"Okay, shoot," Steve said.

"Talk to me about adoption."

**A/N: For the record, I am not at all happy with this chapter. It was very, very hard for me to write, but I've written and rewritten it a million times and I'm pretty sure this is as good as it's going to get. Let me know what you think!**

**Thank you, thank you to poppetrussell, Victorian, JCI, crazylady789, Hope85, elliemarie84, LauraW89, and anonymous for your reviews!**

**Please, please let me know what you all thought of this chapter even if it's just to confirm my suspicions that it wasn't very good **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Stupid Boy**

"_So what made you think you could take a life / And just push it push it around / I guess to build yourself up so high / You had to take her and break her down / she let her heart and soul right in your hands  
> And you stole her every dream and you crushed her plans / She never even knew she had a choice and that's what happens / When the only voice she hears is telling her she can't / You stupid boy"_

"Payson, adoption in this situation would be very difficult," Steve explained.

"Why?" she asked.

"In order for Sasha to adopt Harper, Jeffrey would have to give up his parental rights. Do you really think he'd be willing to do that?"

"I think if he steps out of line one more time I'm going to make him," Payson said. Steve laughed.

"I'm glad we're on the same side, Payson. I wouldn't want to be going up against you."

"Will you just send me the papers for Jeffrey to sign? I'll find a way to make sure he does." Payson promised.

"I'll send them first thing in the morning," Steve assured her. Payson hung up the phone and slumped against the kitchen counter, gathering herself for a moment before dialing another number.

"Hello love," Sasha's voice answered. He didn't sound quite as happy to hear from her as he would have before their fight, and Marty's warning echoed in her head.

"Feel like a date?" Payson asked. She needed to take her mind off of the situation with Jeffrey, and spending time with Sasha sounded like the perfect distraction. Besides, they hadn't had a proper date in a long time, it was always family time with Harper.

"What did you have in mind?" Sasha asked.

"Well, Harper is at the zoo with Jeffrey, so how about an early dinner?" Payson looked at the oven-clock and saw it was just five o'clock.

"I'll pick you up in ten minutes," Sasha promised.

#

"That was Payson?" Marty asked, sitting back on the couch in the Rock office. Sasha nodded, gathering the papers he'd been working on into a pile and shoving them to the edge of the desk.

"Apparently Jeffrey has Harper for the evening, don't know what that's about, but we're going to dinner."

"Are you going to tell her what's bothering you?" Marty asked. Sasha sighed, shaking his head.

"Payson knows where I stand and I know where she stands, I'm not going to force the issue. Either we'll work it out or we won't, but neither is going to happen today so I'm just going to try to enjoy what we have right now," Sasha said forcefully, almost as though he was trying to convince himself.

"You're a stronger man than me," Marty muttered. Sasha snorted with laughter.

"Well we've known that all along, haven't we? Or have you forgotten my right hook?"

#

The restaurant was crowded for five thirty on a weekday, but Payson and Sasha were seated quickly. He followed her to their table, his hand brushing against the small of her back, and he delighted in the shiver he felt course its way through her skin.

The host that seated them pulled Payson's chair out for her, something Sasha usually did himself, and took his time admiring her backside as she sank into the seat. Sasha held back a growl, but not a glare; narrowing his eyes at the young man until he left.

"You're cute," Payson giggled as Sasha sat down. He scowled at her.

"What?"

"The way you get all jealous like that, it's cute." He scoffed, mocking outrage.

"It's not cute! It's manly," he insisted. Payson snorted and picked up her menu. For a few moments they were silent as they looked over the impressive dinner options. Sasha ordered himself a Scotch and Payson a glass of white wine, her favorite.

"So, Harper said something interesting when Jeffrey came to pick her up today," Payson started.

"What was that?" Sasha asked. He still wanted to know what Jeffrey was doing picking up Harper on a day when he wasn't scheduled to have her, but he would save that for later.

"She called you Daddy Sasha," Payson said. Sasha felt his heart leap a little at the words.

"Did she?" He hadn't heard Harper refer to him that way except for that night they'd spent playing at the Rock, and he had to admit he loved that she felt comfortable enough to say it in front of her biological parents.

"Mhmm. Jeffrey was pissed," Payson laughed. Sasha smirked. "So what do you think?"

Sasha set down his menu and looked up at her, his eyes meeting and holding her gaze. He couldn't read the look in her eyes; one moment he thought it was cautious hope and the next he thought it was wariness.

"About what?" He asked, wanting to be sure he knew what she was asking.

"About being Harper's Daddy?" Payson clarified. Sasha tried not to get too excited, tried not to scare Payson with how happy the idea made him. The last thing he wanted was for her to push him even farther away.

"You and Harper are very important to me," Sasha said as he reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You're my family. I already think of myself as a father…figure to Harper."

Sasha watched as tears welled in Payson's steely blue eyes. His fingers tightened around hers, waiting with bated breath for the rest of her reaction.

She smiled.

"I love you, so much," she said, her voice wobbling with the tears. She lifted herself out of her seat, leaning across the table and thread the fingers of her free hand through his hair. He lifted himself to meet her, pressing his lips against hers.

For a few moments they just froze, hovering over the table, their lips pressed firmly together, unmoving. Sasha felt hot tears hit his cheeks, Payson's emotions finally spilling over. An instant later her tongue flicked out and she nipped at his bottom lip. He knew that they were in the middle of a crowded restaurant, and public displays of affection were never his favorite thing, but he didn't care. This was the first time in a long while that Sasha didn't feel the wall of marriage between them, keeping them separate.

"I love you," Sasha gasped, his voice hoarse. They pulled slowly apart, sinking back into their chairs, still staring at each other. And then, it was like a dam breaking; they started to laugh.

They were attracting stares, and they knew it, but they couldn't pull themselves together for long enough to stop laughing. Finally, taking a deep, shuddering breath, Sasha sighed happily and reached out to trace his fingertips down Payson's cheek. She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering shut.

"I've missed you," she said quietly.

"I missed you," he echoed. "So, why is Harper with Jeffrey tonight?" Payson's lips pressed into a thin line and she sighed, shaking her head.

"He just showed up and told her they were going to the zoo. I'm so angry with him, Sasha, I could just…hurt him. Badly."

"I know, love," Sasha said sympathetically. Payson waved a hand in dismissal.

"We're not going to talk about him tonight. This is our date," she said firmly. Sasha smiled.

"Right. No more talk of the wanker," Sasha agreed. Payson snorted with laughter.

#

Payson was deliriously happy on the drive home from the restaurant. Things between her and Sasha had seemed to turn a corner at dinner, the tension had melted away and she felt light and carefree for the first time in weeks.

Until they got back to her house.

It was almost nine and Jeffrey still hadn't brought Harper home or called to say where they were. She had expected him to be waiting at the house like he usually did when he brought her back from one of his weekends, but he and Harper were nowhere to be seen. Payson's heart started hammering painfully in her chest and she reached out to grab Sasha's arm.

"They aren't back," she whispered, staring at the dark house. Sasha frowned and then realization dawned on his face. He reached for her hand.

"Calm down, I'm sure it's nothing. Why don't you call Jeffrey and see where they are?" Sasha suggested. Payson fumbled around for her phone, hitting Jeffrey's speed dial assignment with shaking fingers and then listening to it ring.

"Mommy!" Harper shrieked happily as she answered the phone. Relief flooded Payson. If Harper was answering the phone and sounding so happy, she couldn't be in mortal danger. Right?

"Hi baby! Where are you?"

"Uncle Mike's!"

Payson felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. "Uncle Mike" as Harper had called him was one of Jeffrey's clients; one of his very young, very spoiled, and very immature clients. He was a staple of L.A.'s party scene, and Payson had no doubt that he was the one who started Jeffrey on recreational drugs use.

"Where's your Dad, Harper? Put him on the phone," Payson said, fighting to keep her tone even. She felt Sasha's hand squeeze hers.

"He says no," Harper said, sounding confused.

"Honey, are you at Uncle Mike's house in L.A. or his house in Aspen?" Payson asked, feeling her knees getting weak. There was a long stretch of silence before Harper answered and it made Payson want to scream.

"Aspen," Harper finally said.

"Okay baby, I want you to stay right where you are. Daddy Sasha and I are coming to get you," Payson promised, smiling just a little at the sound of 'Daddy Sasha.' "Got it? Do not leave Uncle Mike's."

"Okay Mommy," Harper said happily. The phone went dead and Payson resisted the urge to dial his number again and keep Harper on the phone for two hours, just to make sure nothing happened.

"He's her father," Payson hissed as Sasha reversed quickly out of the driveway and pointed the truck towards Aspen. "I shouldn't have to worry whether or not she's safe with him."

The ride was silent, broken only by Payson's occasional directions. Sasha wanted to say something to help her, to calm her down, but he knew that right now Payson needed her mind to be on Harper. She didn't want distraction, she wanted focus. He wanted his fist in Jeffrey's face.

Finally, after two long hours, they pulled up in front of a monstrous, modern house. Payson was out of the truck before it had even really stopped, and as soon as he could throw it into park and get out, Sasha was following. The sounds of a party reached their ears quickly, Sasha could practically feel the heavy bass line in his feet. Payson didn't falter, she just marched right up to the door and stormed in. Sasha followed quickly, watching in stunned awe as Payson marched over to the stereo, turned it off and addressed the crowd.

"Where is he?" She asked. Every hand in the room pointed up the stairs. Payson took the stairs two at a time and then turned left down a long hallway, seeming to know right where she was going. Sasha followed her to a room with a card table, where several men were playing cards and Harper sat in the lap of some guy he assumed was Uncle Mike. She picked a card from the ones in his hand and laid it down on the table with a broad smile. A quick scan of the room showed no sign of Jeffrey.

"Mommy! Daddy Sasha!" Harper shrieked. She jumped out of Uncle Mike's lap and flew across the room, into Payson's arms. Payson hugged her tightly, peppering kisses over her face before handing her off to Sasha. He held her tightly against his side.

"Take her back to the truck. I'll be out in a minute," Payson said, her voice low and strained. Sasha knew the men in the room were about to face his worst nightmare; an enraged Payson Keeler.

As he left the room with Harper, Sasha spared a glance over his shoulder. Payson had taken Mike's chin in her hand and was staring into his eyes. After a moment, she slapped him away in disgust and marched towards a closed door.

"What's Mommy doing?" Harper asked. Sasha tore his eyes away and kept walking.

"She's just got to have a chat with your Dad, puiule."

#

Payson never thought the phrase "seeing red" was a literal description of what someone saw when they were angry. But as she stormed across the room to Mike's master bathroom, where Jeffrey was probably snorting lines, she knew it was absolutely true. Her hands connected with the door, sending it flying open with a satisfying crash. Jeffrey stood bent over the marble counter top, a rolled dollar bill in hand. White lines of cocaine almost disappeared against the marble.

Payson couldn't help herself. She flew into the room, knocking the bill from Jeffrey's hand and swiping her own across the counter, sending cocaine flying through the air and onto the floor, probably wasting thousands of dollars. Careful to hold her breath so she didn't get any of it, she took a stunned Jeffrey by the ear and dragged him out into the hall.

"What the fuck, Payson?" Jeffrey roared, bent low as he tried to ease her grip on his ear. When she did let go, she planted her hands on his chest and shoved him into the wall.

"You are done!" she screamed at him. "You are out of Harper's life forever, Jeffrey!"

"The hell I am!" he screamed back. Payson clenched her fists, trying not to actually punch him.

"You are. How can I trust you not to let this happen again? Huh? I can't! You're going to sign away your parental rights or I will have them taken from you," Payson hissed.

"So Sasha can pretend he's Harper's Dad? I don't think so," Jeffrey laughed.

"Sasha is more a father to Harper than you will ever be. I'm done talking about this. I'll bring you the papers on Tuesday and you will sign them," Payson said.

"And if I don't?"

Payson just stared at him for a moment, stunned that he was behaving this way. Finally, shaking her head, she turned to leave.

#

"Is it crazy that I don't want to let her out of my sight for even a second?" Payson asked Monday morning as she and Sasha got ready for the day ahead.

"I think that's a natural instinct to have, but she'll be perfectly safe with your Mom and Dad. They won't let her anywhere near Jeffrey," Sasha promised. Normally, Harper spent her weekdays at a daycare near The Rock, to help her learn to socialize with other children and make friends, but after the incident at Uncle Mike's, Payson had decided that she was better off with her parents for a little while.

"I know, I just…if Jeffrey did something, if anything ever happened to Harper…"

"Shh, I know love," Sasha muttered, pulling her in for a hug. Payson pressed her face into his chest and lingered for a moment before pulling away.

"Okay, she'll be fine. Here we go," Payson said firmly. Sasha knew one of her pep talks when he heard one, and he smiled a little.

"Actually, I'm going to meet you there a little later. I have a couple of things to take care of this morning," Sasha said. Confusion flickered in Payson's eyes before she shrugged.

"That's fine. Anything fun?" she asked. He offered her a smile.

"It might turn out that way."

#

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Marty asked as Sasha parked his truck outside Jeffrey's Denver home. The thing was gargantuan, more house than anyone could possibly need, especially for a second home.

"Are you here to play Jiminy Cricket or to help me scare the hell out of this guy?" Sasha bit out. Marty laughed softly.

"Calm down, I'll be your muscle." Together they got out of the truck and climbed the steps to the front door. Sasha raised his hand to knock and then they waited. Long, tense moments passed.

"Are you sure he's home?" Marty asked quietly.

"He's home," Sasha promised. Right on cue there was a flurry of movement from inside and a second later the door flew open to reveal a harried Jeffrey. Sasha fought a smile; Jeffrey looked like he'd just been put through the ringer.

"What do you want?" Jeffrey asked when he realized who was standing on his stoop.

"I want to have a chat," Sasha said, pushing his way inside. Marty followed.

"Get out of my house," Jeffrey said, holding the door open. Sasha shrugged and shook his head.

"Sorry, I have a few things I'd like to say to you. Sit down." When Jeffrey made no move to sit, Marty clapped him on the shoulder and steered him towards the couch. Jeffrey looked shocked, and a little scared, which gave Sasha more joy than it probably should have. It reminded him of their younger days, when he and Marty were rowdy, trouble making elite athletes.

"If you think you can just come into my house and…" Marty smacked the back of Jeffrey's head.

"Shut up," he growled. Sasha moved to stand in the middle of the room, imagining he was the Godfather.

"You don't even know what you've lost, do you?" Sasha asked. Jeffrey frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Payson. And soon enough Harper. You should have counted yourself the luckiest man alive to be married to her, and instead you threw it all away," Sasha mused. Jeffrey snorted.

"She's the one who chose to leave." Sasha resisted the urge to beat Jeffrey senseless.

"And after you gave her so many reasons to stay; the late nights, the drugs, the other women. What wife wouldn't want that kind of relationship?" Sasha asked, disdain dripping from his voice.

"Look, you don't know me, and you don't…"

"If you say that I don't know Payson, I will beat you to a bloody pulp," Sasha growled. "I've known her better for longer than you could ever dream of."

"What is it, exactly, that you want?"

"I want to tell you how utterly stupid you are. And I want to let you know that if Payson comes by with those papers and you don't sign them, you'll regret it every day for the rest of your miserable life," Sasha said.

"You think you can steal my family away from me?" Jeffrey asked. It was taking all of Sasha's strength not to punch him.

"I think you lost them all on your own," Sasha said, grinding his teeth together. "For once in your life, make the right choice and sign. Those. Papers."

"You don't scare me, Belov. Tell Payson the only way I'll sign those papers is if a judge orders me too."

Finally, Sasha snapped. He whirled on Jeffrey and crossed the room in four large strides, grabbing Jeffrey by the hair and wrenching his head back. It had been a very long time since he'd allowed himself to lose control like that, while he was sober at least, and a part of him felt ashamed for not being the bigger man. But a larger part of him wanted nothing more than to repay Jeffrey for all the pain he'd caused Payson.

"Don't you think you've put your daughter through enough, already?" Sasha asked harshly. Jeffrey strained against his hold.

"Get. Out."

Sasha let go of Jeffrey's hair, pushing his head hard to the side. Then he looked up at Marty, who gave a tiny shrug and then an even tinier nod. Sasha smiled.

And then he punched Jeffrey square in the jaw.

**A/N: And I bet you all thought things with Jeffrey were over, didn't you? Mwahahaha! Okay, maybe you didn't, but still. **

**A HUGE thank you to elsinore, HopeFlies, JCI, goalie19, JTellersOldLady, BearyFunny66, AndromedaJane, LauraW89, and poppetrussell for reassuring me about that last chapter! You guys are seriously amazing. **

**So, warning, updates may slow down (I know what you're thinking; how could they possibly get any slower?) but I just found out that I'm moving to Denver in like…five weeks. And there's a lot to be done so I have no idea how much writing I'll be able to get done. But I will try my best! **

**Let me know what you thought!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: I Will Survive**

"_Go on now, go / Walk out the door / Don't turn around now / Cause you're not welcome anymore"_

Payson was just starting to wake up, hovering in that state between sleep and true wakefulness, when she felt Sasha's fingertips tracing up and down the curve of her hip. She smiled into his chest, wiggling beneath his touch.

"Good morning," he whispered against her hair.

"Mmm, good morning," she hummed. Sasha rolled her beneath him, leaning down to capture her lips and letting the full weight of his body press down against her. Payson moaned into his lips, dragging her foot up his calf and squeezing her legs around his hips. Though she was still pleasantly numb from the night before, she would have loved a morning quickie but a glance at the clock told Payson that wasn't going to happen. It was already half past five; they had just over an hour to get to the Rock before the first of the elite girls showed up.

"Let's just call in sick," Payson muttered against Sasha's lips. He laughed, a low, husky laugh that only came from him first thing in the morning. It was Payson's favorite kind.

"I love you," he whispered, abandoning her lips for the juncture between her neck and shoulder. She squirmed and giggled beneath him.

"I love you," she echoed.

They kissed for a few more minutes before Payson forced Sasha out of bed; they would never make it to The Rock if he kept using his lips like that. He groaned and rolled out of bed, moving like he was going to fall to the floor but twisting his feet beneath him at the last moment. Payson laughed, pushing him playfully.

"Go!" She heard the shower start running and soon enough steam was billowing out of the bathroom.

Once Sasha was out of the shower it was her turn and she smiled at the comfortable ease of their morning routine. He stood at the sink, shaving and styling his hair, while she showered.

"I'm going to meet with Steve tomorrow night," Payson said, sighing as hot water poured over her skin.

"About?" Sasha asked. She could see his very blurry form patting down his neck and face with a towel.

"Terminating Jeffrey's parental rights. I want to do it right, make sure there's no way Jeffrey can come back and say we messed it up later," Payson said.

Sasha's heart started slamming against his ribs so hard he thought they might break. He hadn't thought of that when he and Marty went to pay him a visit. He glanced at Payson, her body fuzzy through the shower door, and swallowed hard. The visit had been a week ago, and no cops had been by to arrest him for assault, so he figured Jeffrey hadn't gone to the police. By the time anyone might ask him about it, the bruise from Sasha's fist would be long gone, and it was Sasha and Marty's word against the word of a habitual drug user. Sasha decided to take his chances.

He didn't want to deliberately lie to Payson but he did want to protect her, to hide her from anymore unhappiness. She deserved some peace and quiet.

"Sasha?" Payson asked as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly around herself.

"Mm?" Sasha asked, snapping himself from his thoughts.

"I asked if you want to come with me to meet Steve tomorrow night," Payson repeated. Sasha smiled softly at her, reaching up to trace his fingers down the line of her cheek.

"Of course."

#

"Come on, Annabelle!" Payson cried in frustration as Annabelle landed on her butt, again. She was starting to feel like all the work they'd done on Annabelle's triple in the last few months had been undone in an hour.

"I'm trying!" Annabelle yelled back. Payson moved closer to the vault horse. Annabelle leaned against it, her head buried beneath her arms. Payson wondered if she was about to burst into tears.

"What's going on, Belle?" Something must have happened, Payson knew. Annabelle had been landing the triple almost consistently for weeks. Sure, the still wasn't sticking it, and a lot of times she fell after she landed it, but she had been hitting the mat feet first. And now it seemed they were back to square one.

"I don't know," Annabelle groaned. Payson smiled. She was blocked. It happened occasionally, when a gymnast spent a lot of time focusing on one skill; their brain got tired of it.

"Sasha and I were going to take Harper to the zoo this week, I swear she asks to go every day, why don't you come with us?" Payson suggested after Annabelle had had a moment to calm down. "Harper just loves you, and I think you need some time out of the gym."

"Worlds is in like, a month, and you think I need time out of the gym?" Annabelle scoffed. Payson nodded.

"I do. And, you are not to train the triple for three days. Your mind and your body need a break, Annabelle, trust me. You might even come back better than before." Annabelle snorted and Payson raised an eyebrow at her. She allowed more freedom in the way gymnasts spoke to her and interacted with her than Sasha did, but even she had her limits.

"Fine. Three days, and I'll come to the zoo."

"Good girl."

#

Payson looked at her watch for the third time in as many minutes and sighed. Sasha, smirking, settled a hand over her knee and gave it a little squeeze.

"If he isn't here in five minutes, he's fired," Payson hissed.

"He'll be here," Sasha promised.

Another minute dragged by and Payson checked her watch again. Finally, fifteen minutes after their scheduled appointment time, Steve Tanner hurried into the lobby.

"Sorry, sorry," he said quickly under Payson's sharp look.

"You're worse than a doctor," Payson snapped. Sasha brushed his thumb against the back of her neck and she shuddered, willing herself to relax.

"I know, I'm sorry Payson. Meeting downtown with a judge ran long, and you can't just run out of a meeting with a judge," Steve explained. Payson nodded.

"It's fine, let's just get started," she sighed.

"Well why don't you tell me why exactly we're here," Steve offered. Payson had told him she wanted to meet with him about terminating Jeffrey's parental rights, but not about what happened at the party.

"The other day Jeffrey showed up at my house and took Harper to the zoo. Then he took her to a party at his client's house in Aspen, where he proceeded to snort cocaine in the bathroom while Mike taught my daughter how to gamble," Payson said, her voice lowering to a growl by the time she was finished. A deep frown creased Steve's forehead as he made notes on his legal pad.

"So Jeffrey showed up on a day he wasn't scheduled to visit and with no warning?" Steve clarified. Payson nodded. "And do you have proof to show a judge that Jeffrey was engaging in illegal drug use at this party?"

Sasha watched as Payson froze. It was a little eerie, actually, passing over her like a wave that he could see move from her head to her feet until she sat perfectly still, as unmoving as a statue. Neither of them had thought about documenting what had happened at the party; Payson had been too caught up in her rage, and Sasha had wanted to get them both as far away as possible, as quickly as possible.

"There were witnesses," Payson said weakly after a long pause. The corners of Steve's mouth drew down into a tense frown.

"Witnesses that will admit to being at a party where there were illegal drugs being used? Payson," Steve trailed off, sighing heavily. "There are at least four felonies that anyone at that party could be charged with. No one is going to want to come forward."

"Then we'll make them," Payson insisted. Sasha heard a hint of desperation in her voice.

"We can't make them, or do anything that could be considered compelling a witness. It could ruin the whole case," Steve reminded her. Payson's shoulders slumped and Sasha hadn't seen her look quite so defeated since breaking her back. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulders.

"So that's it?" Payson whispered. Steve shook his head.

"No. We can't try to prove his drug use at the party, but we can use the fact that he violated your custody agreement by taking Harper to the zoo, and we can use the photos my private investigator took."

Payson's head snapped up and Sasha knew she hadn't even thought about the photos. The divorce seemed like it had happened years ago, when in reality it had only been a few months.

"More extortion?" Payson asked derisively. Steve shook his head.

"No. This time we go straight to a judge."

"Good," Payson said firmly.

"We have enough here Payson, to get a judge to force him to sign away his rights. Jeffrey and his lawyers can fight it, but they'll lose."

#

"This is weird," Annabelle said as she walked beside Payson and Sasha. She glanced sideways at them, trying to surreptitiously check them out; Sasha arm was around Payson's shoulders, and Payson's hand was entwined with his. They were walking lockstep and looking so at ease, it was weirding her out.

"Why?" Sasha asked, his eyes on Harper who was running just a few feet ahead of them to look at the giraffes.

"You two are…relaxed. And so clearly together," Annabelle scoffed. Payson and Sasha laughed lightly. "I mean, I knew you were together because you aren't nearly as stealthy as you think you are, but you guys are always so careful at The Rock."

"It's not something we should be flaunting at work," Sasha said simply.

"Besides, we don't let you girls date, how mean would it be if we threw it in your faces?" Payson added. Annabelle snorted, trying to hold in a laugh.

"I guess that would be kind of douche-y," Annabelle added.

"Language," Payson warned.

"Sorry, I'm really not used to being around babies," Annabelle admitted. She'd said as much every time Harper was at the gym, but Payson didn't quite believe her; nobody not used to being around babies was that good with kids.

"Mommy! Daddy Sasha! Belle!" Harper ran to the three of them, jumping and pointing at the tiger habitat before running back and standing so close to the glass her nose was practically pressed against it.

"You like the tigers, sweetie?" Payson asked.

"Can I have one, Mommy? Like Raja?"

"Someone's been playing her Aladdin," Annabelle laughed. Payson bit her lip and tried her best to look caught.

"You got me," she said. "It's her favorite."

As Harper stood transfixed, Annabelle spotted a long bench a few yard away. Smiling devilishly she got a running start, leaping onto the bench, cart-wheeling across it, and then launching off with an aerial walkover and a full twist. She landed on her feet and then ran to a tiny bridge, switch leaping onto it and then moving into a handstand.

"Annabelle!" Sasha's stern coaching voice was firmly in place.

"What?" she called back innocently, launching herself into a Worley, a move that involved a jump backwards with a half twist and a forward walkover.

"Get down," he insisted. Annabelle huffed and obeyed, but not without a front stretched Salto dismount, twisting her body time and a half before her feet hit the ground. Sasha glowered. "That's not what I meant."

"I know," Annabelle said breezily. Payson hid a laugh.

"Come on, it's getting late and the little one needs to go the bed soon," Payson reminded them.

"Thanks, guys," Annabelle said, turning serious for a moment. "For bringing me out. You're good people."

#

No one could say Steve Tanner wasn't damn good at his job. Only a week after Payson had come to him about Jeffrey, the judge had schedule a termination hearing, thanks to Steve and his connections. Payson asked Sasha to stay at home with Harper, the last thing she needed was him losing his temper and beating up Jeffrey, and in turn Sasha had called the girls in for emotional reinforcement.

"You guys can't keep flying back into town every time something happens!" Payson raged in the hallway outside the courtroom. Kelly, Emily, and Kaylie were staring at her, totally unapologetic.

"Look, we all know what an asshole Jeffrey is and how horrible he can be, and we want to be here for you," Kelly said matter-of-factly.

"Pay, we just want to support you," Kaylie said in her newfound counselor voice. Payson rolled her eyes.

"You can support me just as well from your respective cities," Payson groused. The three women ignored her.

"Payson, are you ready?" Steve asked, walking briskly down the hall towards them. She nodded and Steve opened the door to the court room, holding it as the four of them sailed past. Jeffrey and his lawyer were already sitting at their table as Payson and Steve took their seats. A moment later, the bailiff called for everyone to stand while the judge swept in, his black robes making him look like a character straight out of Harry Potter.

"We're here today to determine whether the parental rights of one Mr. Jeffrey Thames to daughter Harper Thames will be terminated, correct?" the judge asked, his glasses perched low on his nose as he glanced at the thick case file.

"Correct, Your Honor," Steve answered.

"And Ms. Payson Keeler, mother to Harper Thames, is the one seeking termination, correct?"

"Correct, Your Honor," Steve said again. The judge looked up at Payson and offered her a small smile.

"Sit, sit," he said, like he had just noticed they were all still standing. "Ms. Keeler, why do you want your ex-husband's parental rights terminated?"

Steve squeezed her arm reassuringly as Payson stood up again, trying not to look at Jeffrey.

"Your Honor, Jeffrey has never possessed the highest moral character," Payson started, her words and voice sounding foreign to her own ears. "But I was willing to look past that, because I wanted Harper to have a relationship with him…"

"Examples, please," the judge said, interrupting her. Payson faltered a little.

"Um, well he was cheating on me for most of our relationship. He helps his high profile clients keep their affairs and addictions a secret," she offered.

"Okay, continue," the judge said.

"Like I said, I wanted Harper to have a relationship with him. But then it came to my attention that he was using cocaine, pretty frequently."

"And was Harper ever exposed to this?"

"I didn't think so, but then a few weeks ago Jeffrey took Harper to the zoo, violating our custody agreement by taking her on a day he wasn't scheduled for, and they ended up at a client's house. He was snorting cocaine in the bathroom while she was in the next room," Payson explained. She heard a strangled sound coming from Jeffrey, like he wanted to disagree, but didn't dare. The judge turned his eyes to Jeffrey.

"Mr. Thames is this true? Consider yourself under oath, and if you lie, its committing perjury and I can have you thrown in jail." Apparently Jeffrey took too long to answer, because the judge narrowed his eyes at him and then turned back to Payson.

"Do you have any proof of this, Ms. Keeler?"

"Not of that specific instance, but of Jeffrey engaging in the use of cocaine, yes. A private investigator took pictures over a period of several weeks that clearly show Jeffrey using."

The judge sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his forehead.

"Terminating parental rights is a serious matter, one I don't take on lightly. If there is a way to keep a parent involved, I am of the opinion that whatever can be done to make that happen should be done. However, I have in this file many interviews regarding Mr. Thames and his relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, and it seems to me as though he has no regard for the safety, well being, or happiness of Harper Thames. On more than one occasion he has put her in harm's way, in the path of illegal and dangerous drug use, whether directly or indirectly. Mr. Thames, I find your presence in your daughter's life to be toxic, and therefore I am terminating your parental rights and ordering you to thirty days in the rehab facility of your choice, and two years of probation thereafter. You are to have no contact with Harper or Payson."

Payson felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from her chest and she could finally breathe again. Tears welled in her eyes so quickly she barely had time to register them before she was sobbing, surrounded by the arms of her best friends. She turned to Steve, who was packing his briefcase.

"Thank you, Steve," Payson whispered, hugging him. He hugged her back tightly.

"You're welcome."

The girls started pulling her from the courtroom, ready to take her home so they could celebrate properly with Sasha and Harper, but Jeffrey stopped them by grabbing Payson's wrist. She stiffened. Kelly lunged, but Emily and Kaylie pulled her back.

"Can I at least say goodbye to Harper?" he asked. Payson narrowed her eyes.

"No, you cannot. Send her a letter from rehab, when you've had time to appreciate just exactly what you've ruined."

**A/N: BIG thanks to LGCoffeeAddict, elsinore, Kiwiflea, Ida-cullen, SunStar123, poppetrussell, and LauraW89 for your reviews! Your reviews are what keep me going :) **

**And yes, I fully realize the irony of moving to Denver, I swear the show had nothing to do with it, haha. But I am very, very excited. 4 weeks to go!**

**Please, please let me know what you thought!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Right Now (Part 1)**

"_Catch a magic moment, do it / Right here and now / It means everything"_

"We need to talk about Annabelle," Payson said as she trudged into the office the Monday before Worlds. Sasha looked up from his seat at the desk and frowned.

"What about her?"

"I don't know if we should be debuting the triple at Worlds." Payson turned to look out at the floor, where Annabelle was practicing the triple twisting Yurchenko. She was landing it more consistently than she had been a few weeks before, and it had gotten much better after breaking through her block, but she still wasn't sticking it consistently enough to make Payson comfortable.

"You think the pressure will get to her?" Sasha asked, coming to stand next to her. Payson leaned into him just slightly.

"She's relatively untested in international competition. I mean, she's been to a few but none that will draw the same type of crowd as Worlds," Payson reasoned. She remembered Annabelle at the Miami Elite meet, shaking hands and quavering voice. Granted, she had pushed it all aside and performed perfectly, but Worlds was a whole different story. Even gymnasts who had been practicing routines perfectly for month sometimes lost their cool under the pressure of a Worlds stage.

"I think you're right, but she's not going to be happy. We risk derailing all the progress she's making if we shake her confidence like that," Sasha warned. Payson shook her head.

"I don't think so. Annabelle is pretty level headed for a teenager, she might take it better than we think," Payson offered. Sasha raised his eyebrow in a way that said she was grasping at straws. She sighed as he moved away from the window, sitting back down at his desk. "What else would you have me do, Sasha? She's not ready."

"I know," Sasha groaned, rubbing his hand roughly over his face. "All right, we'll tell her together."

Payson nodded and pushed through the office door. Instead of calling across the gym like Sasha would have done, she jogged down the steps and walked calmly across the mats towards the vault. Annabelle saw her coming and smiled brightly.

"It's getting better!" she cried happily, practically bouncing with excitement. Payson's heart clenched and she smiled softly.

"Sasha and I wanted to talk to you for a minute, will you come up to the office?" Payson asked. Confusion flickered in Annabelle's eyes but she forced a smile and nodded.

"Sure."

They walked silently to the office, Payson stepping aside so that Annabelle could go in first. Sasha smiled reassuringly at Annabelle, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch as Payson perched on the corner of his desk.

"Your triple is progressing nicely, Annabelle," Sasha started, glancing quickly at Payson. "And we're very proud of how hard you've been working on it, but with only a week until Worlds, Payson and I worry that it might not be quite competition ready."

Payson watched Annabelle's face closely for her reaction. If it were Payson in her competition days, she would have been the one telling Sasha a skill wasn't competition ready, but Annabelle was less self-critical than Payson had been. Annabelle's face fell just a little and Payson could have sworn she saw her eyes glaze over in an effort not to cry, but the look was gone in the space of a breath.

"I can get it ready," Annabelle insisted. Payson sighed, shaking her head.

"Belle, we can't risk it. It would be better to debut it at the Olympic Trials, when you're ready," Payson said. Annabelle's hands clenched into fists and she pounded them on the leather couch cushions.

"This was my shot," Annabelle muttered. Payson frowned.

"What do you mean, Annabelle?"

"My shot at World Champion. The triple was going to help me get it."

"Belle, just because you aren't performing the triple at Worlds doesn't mean the rest of your routines aren't good enough to get you the World Title. You're an incredible gymnast."

"Being incredible isn't good enough," Annabelle muttered.

For the first time in a long time, Payson didn't know what to say.

#

"Heading home?" Sasha asked at five when Payson started rifling through her purse for her keys. She glanced up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, my mom needs a break so she can actually get some work done. Harper's been making it difficult for her to work from home," Payson sighed. Sasha gave her a soft smile, one she didn't see, and moved across the office to stand behind her. He reached for her hair, moving it away from her neck so that he could bend down and press a kiss there. Payson swayed into him, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I love you," Sasha murmured against her skin. She hummed softly.

"I wish you didn't have to stay here tonight," she groaned. Sasha laughed, his lips still ghosting over her skin.

"It's lock-in week, you know I have to."

"Well I don't like that Mrs. Morris is the chaperone. She ogles you," Payson groused. She didn't like whining, but the prospect of going an entire week without spending the night with Sasha had her crankier than usual.

"Someone's got to chaperone, Pay, and it can't be you. You said it yourself, your mom needs a break."

"I know, I know. I'll see you in the morning," Payson sighed. She turned her head to catch his lips quickly before he released her.

"Bring Harper by so I can say goodnight?" Sasha asked. Payson smiled brightly.

"Of course." Another quick kiss and she was out the door.

Payson drove straight to her parents' house to pick up Harper. Kim had been managing the Rock from home ever since the judge had taken away Jeffrey's rights, so that she could also keep an eye on Harper. Payson didn't think Jeffrey would actually do anything, but she felt better knowing that Harper spent her days with people who knew exactly what was going on.

"Hey Pay," Mark called, cutting the lawnmower engine and wiping a hand across his brow.

"Hi Dad,' Payson said. She hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Your mom and Harper are in the back yard playing Olympics," Mark said, laughing. "Your mom's hand stand is pretty good."

"Oh I'm sure it is," Payson giggled. She and her mom had played Olympics so often when she and Becca were little that her mother had practically been a gymnast herself.

Payson wandered through the house to the backyard, pausing just inside the sliding glass door to watch her mother and Harper. Kim was helping Harper with a back walkover, tickling Harper's tummy as she stretched backwards to plant her hands on the ground. Harper's laugh was music to Payson's ears and she couldn't help but smile and run out to join them.

They three generations of Keeler women played together for a while, dancing and tumbling around the yard, before Payson looked at the clock and realized that if she were going to take Harper by the gym, they needed to leave right that minute.

"Harper, want to go say goodnight to Daddy Sasha?" Payson asked, brushing little specks of dirt off her jeans.

"Yes! Yes!" Harper shrieked, jumping at Payson before she was quite ready to catch her. Payson grunted with the impact, but laughed.

"All right, monkey, let's go. Thanks Mom."

"See you guys in the morning."

Payson drove Harper back to the gym, listening to her chatter about her day with grandma the whole way. As soon as Payson pulled up outside the gym, Harper was unbuckling her own car seat and running for the front door. Payson stifled a laugh as Harper nearly smacked into the door, surprised to find it locked.

"Mommy! The door won't open!"

"Its lock down week, sweetie, the door stays locked at nighttime."

"But I want to go in!"

"Well hold on, Mommy has a key." Payson pulled the key out of her pocket and opened the door. Harper charged inside.

"Daddy!" Sasha caught Harper, swinging her up in the air before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Good night, puiule."

"Good night, Daddy. I love you."

#

"Mommy, where is London?" Harper asked as she watched Payson packing a suitcase for herself and one for Sasha. They were leaving for Worlds in London the next morning, and Sasha was busy running the girls through one last practice at their home gym.

"Far away. It's where Daddy Sasha is from, did you know that?" Payson asked. Then she frowned and muttered to herself, "sort of, anyway."

"Show me," Harper demanded, crawling off Payson's bed and pulling the atlas off the bookshelf. Payson set the shirt she'd been folding in the suitcase and sat down on the floor where Harper was flipping through the pages, even though she would have no idea when she got to London.

"It's all the way over here," Payson said, pointing to England on one of the pages. Harper's eyes went wide as she traced from the spot she knew was the US to Payson's finger hovering over London. Then she looked up at Payson with her big blue eyes.

"Can I come, Mommy?" Payson reached out to comb her fingers through Harper's hair, smiling at her little girl.

"Oh I wish you could, honey, but I need you to stay here and keep grandma and grandpa company."

#

"Ladies, the New York layover is exactly two hours. You may not leave this terminal unless accompanied by myself or Payson, are we clear?" Sasha asked as the girls filed off the plane that had taken them from Denver to JFK. Payson smiled, thinking about the time she and her teammates had left an airport terminal and hopped a plane to Romania. Sasha's smile told her that he was thinking the same thing.

They watched the girls settle into the airport chairs before settling into two themselves, a little removed from the gymnasts. Payson snuggled into Sasha's side, absently playing with the cuff of his sleeve.

"This is a little weird," Payson mused, watching Annabelle and a few other girls sit down in a circle on the floor to play cards.

"Why is it weird?"

"I never thought I'd be going to Worlds again, and here I am. In London no less."

"It is a bit eerie," Sasha said, laughing softly.

"Ugh, will you two get a room?" Payson straightened, looking over her shoulder at Kelly, who was marching down the terminal, Austin trailing slightly behind and looking amused.

"So now an arm around the shoulder is too much PDA for you? What happened to the girl who was all about doing whatever it took to get Sasha and I together?" Payson teased. Kelly snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Shut it," Kelly growled. She flopped into one of the seats across from Payson. "I hate flying."

"Did you take your Dramamine?" Payson asked knowingly. Kelly avoided her gaze.

"Yes."

"No," Austin said before Kelly was even finished with the lie. She gave a tiny shriek of protest, glaring at Austin.

"Rat!"

"Behave, you two," Sasha warned. "I swear, it's like having two extra teenagers to watch over."

"Shut up, you love us," Kelly snapped. Then she turned to Payson. "What is this I hear about you two deciding to keep hiding our secret weapon?"

"Our secret weapon?" Payson asked. Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Semantics," she said dismissively. The truth was, even though she and Austin were accompanying the World team to Worlds, they were there more as extra chaperones than as a legitimate part of the coaching staff, even if their credentials did say "coach."

"It's just not ready," Payson said. "She's been nearly killing herself this week trying to prove to us she can do it, but the consistency just isn't there."

"What about her sister? Samantha? We don't hear much about her," Austin said, looking between Payson and Sasha.

"She's solid," Sasha answered. "She'll never pull big scores, but she's very consistent. And this team needs consistent."

"How are the rest of them looking?" Kelly asked. "Besides Rochelle, we know how she looks."

Rochelle Abbott had been training with Austin and Kelly in Miami for years, and she was on her third year as a World Team member. Payson liked her, and she was dynamite on the vault, but she occasionally allowed herself to get too caught up in the media firestorm that surrounded big meets like Nationals and Worlds.

"The team is looking strong, we have a lot of depth this year," Payson said. Kelly nodded shortly, apparently satisfied with Payson's answer.

The four adults fell silent, waiting for their next plane to board and watching the athletes. None of them were feeling the jitters of a major competition yet, instead laughing and enjoying the time outside of the gym with each other. A pang of nostalgia shot through Payson as she pictured herself sitting there, surrounded by Kelly, Emily, and Kaylie. She would have given almost anything for another Olympic cycle, but her body just couldn't handle it. And she supposed it was a good thing; she wouldn't have Harper, and she might not even have Sasha, not the way she did now anyway, if she'd gone another four years.

"Do you ever regret it?" Kelly asked quietly, leaning her elbows on her knees so that she was bending halfway across the tiny aisle between the chairs.

"What?" Payson asked, mirroring her.

"Retiring when we did." Payson frowned, wondering if Kelly had somehow read her mind. She looked between Sasha and Austin, and then at the gymnasts, trying to decide if she really did regret it. Then she smiled.

"No. I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be."

#

When the plane landed in London, it was early morning. Though they were jet lagged and cranky, Sasha insisted the girls get in a practice at the North Greenwich arena, the very same one Payson and Kelly had competed in during the 2012 Games. It was like stepping back in time; Payson could hear the deafening screams, feel the weight of the gold medals around her neck. By the way Kelly paused beside her when they first entered the arena, Payson knew she felt it too.

After wringing every bit of work from the athletes that Sasha could reasonably manage, they made their way to the hotel. Payson and Kelly got the girls checked in and then the adults.

"Do you think Sasha did this on purpose?" Payson asked Kelly as she handed her the keys to her and Austin's rooms.

"What?" Kelly asked.

"He gave you and Austin and him and me adjoining rooms." Kelly smiled wickedly.

"I don't know, but either way I love him for it."

Sasha carried Payson's bags up the elevator to the fifth floor, leaving her in her own hotel room. Payson sat down on the bed, pressing herself close to the wall and listening. She heard Sasha turn on the television and start unpacking. One of Sasha's favorite commercials came on and she heard him singing alone with the jingle, horribly off-key. After an hour, she heard him rap his knuckles on the wall and a moment later the door between the rooms opened.

"Feel like sneaking out of your room?" Sasha asked. Payson smiled, crawling across the bed and slipping through the door. She had barely stepped into Sasha's room when his arms went around her and he pinned her against the wall.

His kisses were fierce; hard and deep, tinged with desperation. She gave as good as she got, raking her nails across his shoulders as he hoisted her up, urging her to wrap her legs around his hips. Sasha carried her swiftly across the room and then tossed her onto the bed, making her giggled.

"I feel like a teenager," she whispered loudly as he stalked up her body, pressing himself into her. He kissed her deeply before pulling away to reply.

"Why's that, love?" he asked, smiling roguishly. She combed her fingers through his hair.

"Sneaking out of my hotel room at a major event? It happened more often than you think," she said.

"As long as you were never sneaking out to see a boy, I don't care," Sasha said, leaning in to pepper kisses across her chest and neck. She laughed and squirmed when he hit a ticklish spot.

"Oh, didn't you know? I snuck out to meet Max a few times." Payson knew that Sasha knew she was teasing, she and Max had gone on one date after Rio before deciding it just wasn't right, but that didn't stop him from growling and nipping at the skin of her neck. She gave a little shriek that was quickly muffled by his lips against hers.

"The bus leaves for North Greenwich at nine tomorrow morning," Sasha said.

"And?" Payson asked, helping him pull her shirt over her head.

"And," Sasha started, sitting back to admire her bare torso. "I don't think we should leave this bed until then."

"I think that's a brilliant idea."

**A/N: If you all couldn't tell by the "Part 1" after this chapter title, Chapter 16 will be split into two parts. It's all going to cover Worlds, but to put it in one chapter would have taken me three times as long, and I don't think any of us want that. I know it doesn't feel like a whole lot happened in this chapter, but I promise the next chapter will make up for it. I mean, come on, its Worlds! Drama, drama, drama. **

**As always, THANK YOU to my lovely reviewers; MJP, Elsinore, BearyFunny66, JCI, Kiwiflea, JTellersOldLady, goalie19, LauraW89, and crayon115. You guys are awesome!**

**Also, I'm posting an M rated one-shot tonight as well called "Dream Come True" should you feel so inclined. PSA: Don't read it if you aren't comfortable with M rated material. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16: Right Now (Part 2)**

"_Miss the beat, you lose the rhythm / And nothing falls into place, no. Only missed by a fraction / Slipped a little off your pace, oh / …Got to turn, c'mon turn this thing around / Right now"_

"I hate this," Payson muttered as she, Kelly, Austin, and Sasha watched their girls warming up one last time before the meet started. Annabelle and her sister stood off to the side, helping each other stretch, while several other girls ran back and forth across the floor to raise their heart rates.

"Hear, hear," Austin grumbled.

For Payson, the hardest part about being a coach was having to stand by and watch a meet, especially a major one, know that there was nothing she could do about the outcome. Sure, she and Sasha had prepared the girls well, and they could give a pep talk to end all pep talks, and they could spend the meet offering encouragement and support, but when it came down to it…the results were out of their hands. The gymnasts alone were in control of how well or poorly they did at any given meet. And as a former athlete turned coach, it was hard to stomach the loss of control.

"I'm going to start slipping Valium into your coffee," Sasha muttered, his eyes ticking to Payson's hands, which were clenching and unclenching as she tried to work off her nervous energy without throwing any off the girls off of their mental game.

"Sorry."

"The girls are going to go through each of their routines once, why don't we spread out and give them some last minute reminders. You three are just feeding off each other's nerves," Sasha said, a note of accusation in his voice. Kelly rolled her eyes and marched off to where Rochelle was getting ready to run through her beam routine, Austin made his way over to another athlete working the bars, and Payson made her way over to Annabelle, about to run through her floor routine. The girl was shaking.

"How're you feeling, Belle?" Payson asked, trying to ease her nerves by using the less formal nickname. Annabelle looked at Payson, her eyes huge and wild.

"Um, good."

"Annabelle, you need to relax. Treat this just like any other meet," Payson suggested. Annabelle snorted.

"Right."

"Annabelle," Payson groaned. If Annabelle didn't find a way to calm her nerves she was going to fall apart under the harsh light of competition.

"I know," Annabelle sighed, holding up a hand. "I'll get myself together before competition starts. Promise."

#

"Introducing Team USA!"

As soon as the girls had made their entrance, Sasha gathered them round, leaning into the group and raising his voice to be heard above the music blasting through the speakers.

"Listen up, ladies," he said. "This meet is where you will make it or break it. It will show the world whether or not you have what it takes to compete at the Olympic Games. You all have what it takes. I know you do. Payson knows that you do. The world does not. It's up to you all to show them why each and every one of you was hand selected to represent the United States. I chose you for a reason, because you all bring something special to the sport. Let that shine through in your routines today. Calm down. Focus. Fly."

Eight sets of eyes stared back at him, blazing with a hunger for competition. For excellence. And then their eyes turned to Payson. She faltered, not quite sure what to say that hadn't already been said. The back of Sasha's hand brushed hers and he nodded slightly. She took a breath, drinking it all in, remembering what it felt like to be an athlete, remembering what she'd wished someone had told her when she was young. She smiled.

"Right now. This is it, ladies. Think of this as the last time you'll ever compete. How do you want the world to remember you? Do you want to go out in a blaze of glory? You don't know what could happen tonight, tomorrow, next month. Life has a way of taking everything you think you know and turning it on its head. You might not get a tomorrow. You might only get one shot. This is it. Right now."

The girls nodded, their eyes brighter still. Payson held out her hand, balled into a fist and waited a fraction of a second before Annabelle's hand covered her own. Then Samantha's. Then Rochelle's. One by one, each girl added their hand to the pile until there was just Sasha left. He grinned, adding his hand to the mountain.

"On three; one, two, three…"

"Rock on!"

Payson smiled at the familiar cheer as the girls broke away, spreading out to focus and visualize. Though this was Team USA and it was made up of gymnasts from across the country, they all trained at the Rock at least once a month and had elected to keep the Rock cheer as their own.

"They look good," Payson breathed as Sasha came to stand next to her, his shoulder brushing against hers. It was the only contact they would allow themselves during competition, so as not to take their focus away from the girls. Just enough contact to gain strength and peace from each other, not enough to get lost.

"They do," Sasha echoed.

All too quickly they were in to the first rotation. Annabelle performed her bars routine flawlessly, earning a 15.8 from the judges. No one else touched her score. Team USA was putting on a very good show, looking more solid and together than any team since Payson's. It was an exhilarating feeling to have everything going right.

Payson should have known it wouldn't last.

Samantha was up on beam. Usually, Annabelle's older sister was not a gymnast to worry about; like Sasha had told Kelly and Austin, she would never earn the highest scores, but she would always help boost team rankings and Payson had never seen her falter during competition. But as Payson watched her approach the beam, she noticed a slight tremor in the girl's legs, an unsteadiness that made Payson's stomach flip flop. She reached out a grabbed Sasha by the forearm, digging her nails in to get his attention.

"Samantha isn't injured, right?" Payson confirmed. Sasha shook his head.

"Healthy as a horse," he breathed. Together they watched Samantha offer the judges a watered down smile. Payson looked at Annabelle, who looked anxious and whose eyes were trained on her sister.

"Belle," Payson hissed. The other gymnasts might not have noticed anything amiss yet, and Payson didn't want to call attention to it by calling out Annabelle's name.

"Hm?" Annabelle asked distractedly, drifting over to where Sasha and Payson stood, but without taking her eyes off Samantha.

"What's going on?" Sasha demanded in a soft voice. Annabelle's eyes flicked over to Sasha's face.

"She isn't feeling well. She was throwing up all morning before warm ups, and then again a few times just before we came in. She's been drinking Gatorade, but she still feels queasy," Annabelle admitted. A strangled noise made its way out of Payson's throat.

"Why didn't you girls tell us?" Payson asked. She felt Kelly and Austin appear at her side and knew both of them had noticed too.

"Samantha was worried you'd make her sit out." There wasn't time for anymore talk, Samantha was mounting the beam. She landed her jump to a handspring with relatively little wobble, although it wasn't the type of landing Payson usually associated with Samantha. And then she was working her way through the routine, slowly but precisely. Payson thought she might be beating whatever stomach bug she had caught; mind over matter.

Samantha's last acrobatic move before her dismount was a Flic-Flac with a full twist. Payson crossed her fingers, knowing that if she could just stay on the beam and then land her dismount without falling, everything would be fine. But Samantha didn't stay on the beam. Her hands hit the narrow block of wood, and then slipped right off. Her body continued with the downward momentum.

Her head hit the beam with a sickening crack.

Payson felt the shriek rip its way from her chest before she could stop it. All that ran through her head as she and Sasha dashed towards the fallen gymnast, lying lip on the mat, was her fall at Nationals. What if Samantha could never compete again?

"Stay back!" Sasha warned his gymnasts, including Annabelle who was nearly hysterical. Austin and Kelly worked to keep them at bay as Sasha waited for the event medics, his fingers on the pulse point in Samantha's wrist. Blood was pooling on the mat beneath her head.

"We'll need to take her to the hospital right away," the medic said. Sasha stood and helped Payson do the same, nodding.

"Of course. Kelly, go with them." Kelly didn't question Sasha's order, squeezing Payson's hand as she hurried to follow them.

Samantha had been the last American gymnast to perform, but Payson and Sasha needed to see the girls back to the hotel and reassure them that Samantha would be okay, even though they didn't know that for sure, before they took Annabelle to the hospital.

Everyone moved quickly, silently, the way people sometimes do when faced with a scary situation they can't control. Payson shook with the effort of containing her tears. It was all brining back so many memories, and one look at the tension in Sasha's jaw, the ashen pallor of his face, told her that he was reliving her injury too.

"Payson, I need to go see her," Annabelle begged the instant they'd gotten the team back to the hotel. Tear tracks streaked her cheeks and she shifted back and forth from one foot to another, her hands shaking as she wrung them together.

"I know, Belle, we'll go in just a minute. Just hold on." Payson glanced over Annabelle's shoulder at Sasha, who was coming from the room he'd gathered all the athletes into. Austin was going to stay with the girls, and once she and Sasha were at the hospital, Kelly would come back to join him.

"Belle, do have your things? Cell phone, wallet?" Sasha asked softly, trying to keep his voice from wavering. Annabelle nodded, her eyes wide and frightened. "Good. Let's go."

#

Samantha was a small girl, as most elite gymnasts were, and she looked even smaller lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Her face was pale, drained of all blood, and there was a bandage wrapped around her head.

"She's suffered a skull fracture. It's a serious head wound, but as far as what could have happened…she's a lucky young lady," the doctor said. "She will be able to compete again, should she choose to."

Payson and Sasha nodded. Being able to compete was the least of their immediate concerns. Annabelle paced the hallway.

"That's her sister," Payson said softly, nodding her head at Annabelle. "Can she see her?"

"Of course. Samantha will have to stay here for a while, and she'll be in London for even longer. We can't risk her flying just yet."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Payson turned to Annabelle, holding out her hand. Annabelle took it and together they went into Samantha's room in the ICU. Very carefully, Annabelle sat down on the bed next to her sister, gently running her fingers over the bandage covering hear head.

"My parents always thought she would be the one going to the Olympics," Annabelle said quietly. "Not me."

"What do you mean?" Payson asked, taking a deep breath and holding it in, in an effort to keep herself from crumbling. Everyone knew that Annabelle was the better gymnast of the two sisters.

"When we first started out, Samantha was way better than me. I used to hate her for it because my parents treated her like…like something insanely special and rare; they gave her everything she wanted. I only started to pass by her, like, two years ago and even then my parents thought it was some fluke," Annabelle explained. Payson frowned. She'd met Annabelle and Samantha's parents, and they had seemed to dote on both of their daughters. It looked like a well adjusted, happy family, one that reminded Payson of her own.

Sasha came in the room then, silently, laying his hands on Payson's shoulders. She wanted to sag under the weight of them, collapse into Sasha's chest and let go of all the emotions rolling around inside her, but she didn't dare. Not until she was safely out of Annabelle's sight.

"Samantha though, she knew that I'd be better than her someday. She told me so all the time. And she…she always says how proud she is of me…"

Annabelle starts to cry, leaning over and pressing her face into the crook of Samantha's neck. She's silent for a moment as she cries, her tears staining the thin hospital gown that's two sizes too big for Samantha. When she finally sits up, her tears are dry and she sniffs before looking at Payson and Sasha with steel in her eyes.

"I have to do the triple tomorrow."

Payson starts to object, but the sharp squeeze of Sasha's hands on her shoulders keeps her silent. He nods.

"Of course."

#

After making sure that Annabelle and Samantha's parents arrived at the hospital and found the right room, Payson and Sasha made their way back to the hotel. They gave the rest of the team an update, assuring them that while Samantha's injury was serious, she would be fine eventually and then bid everyone goodnight. Austin and Kelly set off for their rooms while Payson and Sasha did the same, not even bothering to hide it from the girls.

The moment the door clicked shut, Payson took a ragged breath and burst into tears. Sasha swept her into his arms, holding her tightly, as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

"Shh, love," Sasha whispered, running his hand over her hair and pressing kisses to any part of her that he could reach without loosening his grasp. A few tears of his own were starting to fall, tracing patterns down his cheeks.

"I…I just can't…stop," Payson gasped, but Sasha shushed her again. He knew what she was going to say; she couldn't stop picturing her own fall. Neither could he. The image of a teenage Payson in her sparkling red and blue leotard plummeting to the ground, landing on her neck flashed through Sasha's mind every time he closed his eyes.

Sasha led her over to the bed. They'd both been on their feet all day and he wanted her to rest, at least as much as she could, given the circumstances. Together they scooted up to the head of the bed, entwining their arms as they held tightly to each other. Payson's hand grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt as her tears died. Before Sasha understood what was happening, she had surged up to kiss him deeply, desperately.

It was a comfort they both needed. As Payson struggled to rid him of his shirt, his hand slipped up the leg of her shorts, gripping her thigh tightly and hitching it up over his hip. She rolled, sending him onto his back and sitting up, peeling off her shirt and grinding down against him. Sasha's breath caught in his throat.

Their gazes locked for a long moment while Payson fumbled with the button on his pants. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know; she wanted to forget. She wanted to drown in him and for him to drive the images of both her fall and Samantha's from her mind.

Sasha wanted the same.

#

Payson had thought she was nervous during the preliminary competition, but event finals the next day were even worse. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched each of the girls compete on the apparatuses they had qualified in. She chewed her nails until they started to sting, and then she began to gnaw on the inside of her cheek, just waiting for another gymnast to fall, sure that another catastrophe was just waiting in the wings.

Sasha held her hand as the girls secured a Team gold, and as Annabelle swept gold in every event but beam. She had fallen apart there, and Payson knew it was because of Samantha. But there was still the vault to go, and that had Payson more nervous than anything.

"Relax. For Belle," Sasha muttered as he saw Annabelle standing up over his should. She peeled off her team jacket, her eyes unfocused as she saw the vault in her head. Payson carefully schooled her features, pushing all the terror deep down inside.

"You got this, Annabelle," Payson said, her voice surprisingly strong. Annabelle gave her a small, distracted smile and climbed the stairs to the competition floor, crossing over to the start of the run. There wasn't even the slightest tremor in Annabelle's hands.

"She's going to do it," Kelly whispered beside Payson. There was no denying it, Annabelle was going to stick it. It wasn't anything concrete that spectators would see, just a change in demeanor, a charge in the air around her that told the world she meant business. But even the knowledge that Annabelle was about to make gymnastics history didn't quell Payson's nerves.

As the judge's flag went up and Annabelle gave her salute, Payson reached for Kelly's hand, squeezing hard. She noticed Kelly reach for Austin's and the four coaches stood there, linked, watching.

Annabelle took a running start, swinging her arms back and jumping up much like the way Alicia Sacramone had started all of her vaults, barreling towards the horse.

Payson wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, but she didn't dare. Annabelle threw herself into the round off, back handspring, her hands hitting the springboard with a solid thud. There was the sharp ping of the metal springs as she flew up into the air, pushing off the vault horse and twisting her body once, twice, three times.

"She's got it," Austin said, his voice rising with excitement. Payson began bouncing, ready to jump up and down when Annabelle landed.

Her feet hit the mat, just a slight bend in her knee. The force caused her to bounce and take a large hop, but it was as close as any female gymnast had ever come to landing a triple twisting Yurchenko, at least in competition. A wide smile split Annabelle's face as the crowd was silenced, not quite sure what they had just seen. And then, the arena burst in raucous applause. Payson broke away from Sasha, Kelly, and Austin and ran to Annabelle, who jumped into Payson's arms. The two women jumped up and down, screaming in excitement. Annabelle had just cemented her place in history, and become the best gymnast in the world.

"You did it!" Payson said loudly, her mouth nearly pressed to Annabelle's ear so she'd be heard.

"I did it!"

The event officials pulled Annabelle away from Payson, directing her to the podium where a gymnastics official Payson barely recognized looped the gold medal around her neck. Annabelle grasped the disk in her hand, lifting it towards the ceiling. Tears welled in Payson's eyes.

She felt Sasha's arm settle around her shoulders, squeezing firmly and then he leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of her ear as he spoke.

"Enjoy it," he whispered. She looked up at him, confused.

"Enjoy what?"

"This, your proud mum moment. It's a huge accomplishment for Annabelle, but it's a big accomplishment for you too. Be proud of yourself."

Payson looked towards the podium at Annabelle. The gymnast took a break from waving at the crowd and smiled brightly at Payson, giving her a thumbs up. Payson returned.

They both had every reason to be proud.

#

Payson was bone tired by the time she and Sasha got home, and all she wanted to do was collapse into bed and sleep for days. Her mother was keeping Harper an extra day so that Payson could try to beat the jet lag, and even though the only thing Payson wanted more than sleep was to wrap her arms around her little girl, she was grateful for the reprieve. Caring for Harper and getting her body back into the right time zone would have been torture.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow," Sasha sighed, fighting a yawn as he forced himself to get up off her couch. Payson stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and grabbed his hand, refusing to let go.

"Don't go, stay here with me," Payson begged. Sasha groaned, leaning down to press his lips to hers.

"I have to check on my apartment. Between being here and going to Worlds I've hardly been home in a month. The place could've burned to the ground for all I know," Sasha grumbled. Payson didn't respond right away, but her grip on his hand tightened. He frowned, staring at her. "What?"

She kept staring at him, smiling and sitting up straight.

"Move in with me."

**A/N: A HUGE thank you to HopeFlies, SunStar123, Kiwiflea, and BearyFunny66 for your reviews last chapter! I would love to get another chapter to you all in about a week, but since I move 1 week from SATURDAY it might not happen. This one might have to tide you over for a while.**

**So, a lot happened here, huh? We got some Annabelle back story, some P/S development, some gymnastics drama. Tell me your thoughts, people! Good, bad, or ugly, let me hear 'em!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17: Starting A New Life**

"_When I hear that robin sing / Well, I know it's coming on spring / Ooo, we and we're starting a new life / We gonna move / Move way on down the line / Girl, we been standing / In one place for too long a time"_

_Move in with me_

"What?" Sasha asked, all thoughts of going to check on his apartment forgotten. Payson stared up at him, her blue eyes shining with excitement.

"Move in with me and Harper," Payson repeated. Sasha faltered.

"Payson…" He winced as her face fell, the light in her eyes dimming slightly. "I love you, and I would love to move in with you…"

"But what?" Payson pressed. Sasha sighed, running a hand over his face and moving around the edge of the couch to sit down next to her.

"More than anything in the world, Payson, I want to be married to you. I want to be your husband. I've tried very hard not to push you, because I know you're scared, and I appreciate this as a step in the right direction, but I'm also worried that if we move in together we'll get stuck…playing house," Sasha explained.

Payson twisted so that she was kneeling beside him and reached forward to take his face in her hands. He sighed.

"I promise, we will not get stuck playing house." Payson didn't know what she could say to him that would make him believe she was trying, and she understood his fears, but she knew that moving in together was the next step for them. It didn't scare her the way marriage did. "So will you move in?"

Sasha gave her a small smile. "I'll move in."

#

"He's moving in?" Kaylie shrieked happily, clapping her hands together. Payson turned down the volume on the video conference call until her friend's voice dropped back to a normal octave.

"Yes, he's moving in but not for a couple of weeks. His landlord agreed to let him break his lease without penalty if he waited until the end of the month to move out," Payson explained.

"Pay, that's great," Emily said quietly. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks Em. I'm really happy too."

"Does that mean we'll hear wedding bells anytime soon?" Kelly asked. Payson snorted.

"No. Although I did promise Sasha that this wasn't the end of the road, so I'll have to consider it at some point, I suppose."

"Payson," Kelly snapped. "It is seriously time to get over this whole fear of marriage thing." Payson waved her away.

"I know, Kelly. You've told me your opinion on the subject at least a thousand times. And I'm still saying you're a little bit of a hypocrite," Payson said with a shrug. Kelly scoffed and flashed her middle finger.

"Okay, you two," Kaylie warned, ever the peace keeper. "We should all just be happy for Payson and Sasha. Have you explained it to Harper yet?"

"No, we're doing that tonight. Sasha wants to take us out to dinner and make it really special."

"God," Kaylie moaned. "He is the best dad."

"A hell of a lot better than her real dad, that's for sure," Kelly said. Payson heard the door opening and the pitter-patter of Harper's little feet running inside.

"Gotta go, guys."

"Mommy!" Harper flew into the room, jumping into Payson's lap and turning towards the laptop screen. She waved brightly at the girls.

"Hi Harper," Emily said.

"Hi Aunt Emily! Aunt Kay! Aunt Kelly!" Payson laughed.

"Blow kisses goodbye baby, Daddy Sasha wants to take us out," Payson said, pressing a kiss to Harper's temple. Harper blew three quick kisses before Payson said her goodbyes and closed the screens.

"Mommy, Daddy said tonight is special and that you should wear something really pretty. He said to wear your swan dress," Harper babbled. Payson laughed, knowing exactly the dress Sasha wanted her to wear. It was waiting in the back of her closet, and she hadn't worn it in years.

"Okay sweetie. Why don't you pick out some jewelry for me to wear?" While Harper ran to her jewelry box, Payson went to her closet to get the dress. It was the same black dress she'd worn the first time Sasha took her to the ballet; short, with a keyhole back, a scooped neck and fitted at the waist. When she was seventeen it had added the curves her elite gymnast body had lacked, and now, nearly halfway through her twenties, it enhanced the curves she'd gained.

"Mom! These?" Harper asked. Payson had to laugh; Harper was holding up the same earrings she'd worn that night as well, small rhinestone bows with a shiny pearl hanging down.

"Perfect, baby."

#

"You look stunning," Sasha whispered into Payson's ear as they walked into the restaurant behind Harper, who was taking charge of the situation. She told the maitre d' just who they were and that they had a reservation, and that they were very hungry.

"You've seen me in this exact outfit before, you know," Payson laughed. Sasha pressed a kiss to her neck.

"I know, but I couldn't tell you then just how fantastically stunning you were. It would have been inappropriate," Sasha said. The maitre d' led them to their table and Sasha lifted Harper into a booster seat before pulling Payson's chair out for her.

"Even then?" Payson asked as they sat down. He glanced up at her from his menu, his eyes sparkling.

"Even then." Payson leaned over to kiss him.

"Ew! Cooties!" Harper shouted, clapping a hand over her eyes. Payson sat up straight, reaching over to tickle Harper.

"Shh, sweetie. Remember, soft voices," Payson whispered, mimicking the volume she wanted Harper to use.

"Soft voices," Harper whispered back.

Payson sat back and watched Sasha help Harper pick out her dinner, a sense of calm happiness spreading through her. Sasha was such a wonderful father to Harper, even though he didn't have to be, and he worked so hard to take care of them, to make them happy. He put up with a lot from her, too. She couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him, maybe even have another baby. A boy that looked just like Sasha would be the perfect addition to their family. She reached out and laid her hand across the back of his neck, scratching lightly. He looked up at her and smiled before leaning in for a kiss while Harper hid behind the menu.

"I love you so much," Payson whispered against his lips.

"I love you."

Their food came and they decided it was time to explain to Harper what was going to happen. Chances are she wouldn't really have noticed a change anyway, because Sasha practically lived with them already, but they wanted to tell her, to make it formal.

"Harper, you know how sometimes Daddy Sasha has to go to his house? How sometimes he has to leave before you go to bed and isn't there when you wake up?" Payson asked. Harper nodded.

"Yes, but it's only sometimes." Payson can almost hear her adding that Jeffrey was gone a whole lot more. So far, Harper hadn't seemed too affected by Jeffrey's disappearance from her life, but Payson wasn't sure she would stay unaffected. For now, though, Harper seemed perfectly happy to act as though Sasha was the only father she'd ever known.

"That's right, it's only sometimes. Daddy Sasha and I had an idea though, what if he left his house and came to live with us forever?" Payson asked, trying to put the situation into language a toddler would understand. Harper's face brightened.

"Yes, yes!" Harper shrieked, clapping. Sasha reached for Payson's hand and she smiled at him.

"It's settled then. Daddy Sasha will live with us."

"Happily ever after!" Harper said with finality. Payson and Sasha shared a look, one that said no matter their obstacles or disagreements, they would indeed live happily ever after.

#

"Ladies, gather round!" Payson smiled as she listened to Sasha giving his morning instructions to the Rock athletes. Though his voice had dropped and she could no longer hear him, she knew that he was telling the girls that the pressure was only going to build now that it was just Olympics Trials and the Games themselves left in the cycle. She clearly remembered hearing the same speech herself, almost eight years ago. Had it really been eight years?

Payson was ready to get lost in her memories, lulled by the rhythmic pounding of feet on the mats and Sasha's voice instructing, ready to neglect her paperwork in favor of nostalgia, but she was interrupted by another voice from her past. One she didn't necessarily want to hear ever again.

"Hi Payson!" Summer Van Horne…Tanner now, Payson had to remind herself, sailed into the office like she still worked there.

"Summer. What can I do for you?" Payson asked, shuffling papers like she had been busy working. Summer sat down in the chair opposite Payson, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Steve and I just wanted to invite you and Sasha and your little girl to dinner this weekend. Lauren will be home and I know she'd just love to see you." Payson fought the urge to grimace. She and Lauren hadn't spoken since their post-Olympic press tour ended and she very much doubted that Lauren had requested the dinner.

"I don't know, Summer, we're very busy," Payson said, trying to sound apologetic and failing. Summer brightened.

"Oh, but we purposefully waited until after Worlds, so that there would be a bit of a lull in your schedule. Steve wanted to have you over weeks ago to celebrate your win, but I knew that at least Sasha would be too stressed." Payson bristled. Summer talked about Sasha too knowingly, like they'd shared a long and committed relationship, rather than a brief and tumultuous one that Sasha regretted with every fiber of his being.

"I'll have to talk to Sasha," Payson finally conceded. She might dislike Summer, and Lauren…and Steve, actually, but Steve had helped her through the entire situation with Jeffrey and she felt like she owed it to him to be nice. One dinner wouldn't kill her. Or Sasha.

"Great! Just come by the house at, say, six thirty? On Friday?" Summer pressed. Payson sighed and nodded, rubbing her forehead.

"I'll talk to Sasha about it, Summer, and I'll let you know."

Payson watched Summer leave and then headed for the floor, abandoning all hope of catching up on her paperwork. Looking around for Sasha or Annabelle, she found them together, standing practically nose to nose, glaring at each other.

"Hey guys," Payson said carefully. Sasha glanced at her, his jaw twitching. "What's going on?"

"Tell Sasha I need to keep training my triple! I can't take a break from it right now, if I do I might lose it!" Annabelle cried. Payson shook her head gently, taking Annabelle by the shoulders.

"Belle, you won't lose it. Sasha's right, you need to focus on some other skills too and your body needs a break from the triple. I promise you won't lose it." Annabelle deflated, looking back and forth between Payson and Sasha.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Sasha grunted.

"Get back to work," Payson said softly. They watched Annabelle trudge off towards the beam before Payson turned to Sasha, taking a moment to enjoy the slight shadow of stubble dusting his jaw. She reached up and traced her fingers of his cheek.

"Hey," she said, continuing with the soft tone. He smiled, pressing his cheek against her hand.

"She's been a handful since Samantha's accident," Sasha observed. "Did you know she's been staying in her house alone?"

"What?" Payson cried, her voice rising in shock. Annabelle hadn't said anything to her about her about staying home alone. Payson knew her parents were still in London with Samantha, who hadn't been given clearance to fly yet, but she figured that Annabelle was staying with a family member, or a neighbor or something. Certainly not alone.

"I just found out today; she mentioned it to one of the girls. I don't think she realized I was standing close enough to hear."

"We can't just let her stay alone, Sasha. She's only sixteen," Payson whispered. Sasha nodded.

"What is there to do?" Sasha asked, sounding lost.

"She's going to come stay with us. Harper will love it," Payson said. Sasha frowned.

"Don't you think people will find that inappropriate?" Sasha asked. Payson shook her head.

"If she were only staying with you, yes, but she'll be staying with our family." Sasha stared at her a moment, something she couldn't quite name in his eyes. Then, so quickly she almost missed it, he leaned in and kissed her.

"Annabelle!"

#

"Tell me again why I agreed to this?" Sasha asked as he and Payson approached the Tanner house. They'd opted to leave Harper at their house, watched over by their new houseguest Annabelle, in case the night imploded which it likely would.

"Because Steve helped me out with Jeffrey," Payson reminded him. The heavy front door swung open and then Lauren Tanner was flinging herself into Sasha's arms.

"Sasha! I missed you so much!" Lauren gasped, hugging him tightly. Payson had to resist the urge to growl. Then Lauren turned on Payson. "Oh, Payson!"

Payson cringed as Lauren threw her arms around her neck and squeezed.

"Lauren, hi," Payson gasped, trying to extricate herself from Lauren's arms.

"I can't believe you two are together now. When Daddy told me, I almost died," Lauren sighed dramatically. Payson marveled at how little the Bitch of the Beam had changed in the last eight years. She still acted like she was sixteen with unlimited access to her father's credit cards.

"Payson, Sasha, we're so happy you could make it," Summer said, coming from the kitchen. Apparently she had given the cook the night off and attempted to make the meal herself. It smelled like…Romanian stuffed peppers. Payson nearly growled in jealousy until she felt Sasha squeeze her hand. She looked up at him and he quickly winked, telling her that he found it as ridiculous and sad as she did.

"Thank you for having us," Sasha said as he shook hands with Steve.

"Shall we start with a drink? Sasha, I know you're a Scotch man. Payson, what'll you have?" Steve asked.

"Just a white wine is fine, thank you Steve." Payson never thought she would see the day when Steve was the Tanner that least annoyed her.

"So, Lauren," Sasha started. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh you know, just jet setting all over the place for shows and stuff. I'm back here to design a new line of, wait for it, leos!" Lauren shrieked as she said it, like it was the most exciting news any of them had ever heard. After the Olympics, Lauren had found some success as a fashion designer; right off the bat magazines had dubbed her fashion's fastest rising star.

"Leos? For who?" Sasha asked. Lauren rolled her eyes.

"For the Olympic Team!"

"Uh, Lo, we usually get our leos from GK," Payson said quickly. Lauren waved her off.

"Please. This time around, you're getting them from me and they are going to be just fab!"

"Can't wait," Payson muttered.

"God, I can't believe I was right about you two," Lauren said, gesturing between Sasha and Payson. They both frowned.

"I'm sorry?" Sasha asked.

"I've always said you two were closer than just a coach and his athlete. And look! I was right!"

"Well, Lo, you know Sasha and I hadn't seen each other in years before I moved back to Boulder. It's not like we were hooking up when I was sixteen," Payson clarified. Lauren snorted and waved her off again. Payson was about to break her hand.

"Payson, how is Harper taking the Jeffrey situation?" Steve broke in. Summer moved them into the dining room where they sat down around a table full of food.

"I'm sorry, can we say grace first? And then you two can pick this up?" Summer asked pleasantly.

"Of course, honey," Steve said. He, Summer, and Lauren linked hands, and waited for Payson and Sasha to do the same, which they did reluctantly.

Summer's prayer was short, and soon enough Payson and Sasha were released to talk about other things.

"Harper is doing well," Payson told Steve while Sasha dished her a plate. "I'm not entirely sure she knows that this is a forever kind of thing, but with Sasha around she doesn't seem to care. She never asks about him."

"Good, I'm glad she's adjusting," Steve said sincerely.

"She is. And with Sasha moving in, it will be like Jeffrey never existed," Payson said lightly, teasing. She heard Summer choke on her wine and Lauren reach over to pound her on the back.

"Move in?" Summer asked through great, gulping breaths. Payson and Sasha shared a glance.

"Yes. Sasha is moving in with us, as soon as he can get out of the lease on his apartment."

"That's awesome!" Lauren cried. Summer cast her a disapproving glare before turning it back on Payson and Sasha.

"Don't you think that's a little irresponsible? To teach your daughter that it's okay to live with someone out of wedlock?" Payson and Sasha both bristled.

"I hardly think Harper understands what that means right now," she said, choosing to ignore that fact that Summer was basically calling her an irresponsible parent. Summer's frown deepened.

"Someday she will. And she'll put it together that the two of you were undoubtedly sleeping together, and is that really the kind of example you want to set? Not to mention that it's following very quickly on the heels of your divorce, Payson. What will that do to her view of the sanctity of marriage?"

"Summer!" Steve admonished.

"No, Steve, it's okay," Payson started, fighting to keep her temper under control. "What Harper will know is that Sasha and I love each other very much and that we are committed to each other. She will learn what a healthy relationship is. And I would much rather her have Sasha and I, unwed though we may be, as an example than her cheating, drug addict father!"

"Payson," Sasha said softly, his hand settling over her knee. Payson deflated a little.

"I'm sorry, certainly Jeffrey isn't the best example of a parent and maybe you were right to remove him from Harper's life…"

"Maybe she was right?" Sasha interrupts. Summer looks at him with wide eyes, like an animal backed into a corner.

"Well yes, I'm still not convinced it was the best option…"

"Well then it's a good thing your opinion on the subject was neither asked for nor appreciated. "

"I…"

"She's sorry," Steve jumped in, silencing Summer with a pointed look. "So, how's the team looking? I only caught a bit of Worlds, but I heard about Samantha."

Conversation turned to the much safer topic of gymnastics, with Lauren interjecting her opinion about every third word. Summer mostly sulked. The evening passed by at an excruciating pace. Finally, they had cleared their plates, enjoyed desert and coffee, and begged off with the excuse that Annabelle was a houseguest, not a live in nanny and that she deserved a break.

As they made their way to the car, Sasha put his arm around Payson's shoulders, pulling her in close.

"You're a wonderful mother," he promised. Payson bit her lip. Despite disagreeing with Summer, Payson couldn't help but let a little doubt seep into her mind at the argument Summer had presented.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure," she whispered. Sasha stopped moving and turned her around to face him.

"You are." Payson sighed.

"It's like…like going on a cross country road trip without a map; I have no idea how to get where I'm going. Kids should come with an owner's manual," Payson huffed. Sasha laughed deeply, the sound warm and rich, and pulled her in for a hug.

"Your mother is a wonderful mother, Payson, she gave you all the tools you need. And trust me, you're the best mother a child could have." Payson was silent for a moment and then smiled up at him.

"And you're the best father a child could have."

"Well then I'd say that Harper is a pretty lucky little girl."

**A/N: THANK YOU to Egyptian Kiss, flowerchild3286, crayon115, JCI, Hope Flies, goalie19, explamation points forever, Kiwiflea, BearyFunny66, and SunStar123 for your reviews!**

**I know this chapter had less major drama than the one before, but hopefully it didn't feel too much like filler. For some reason, this one came a whole lot more easily than some of the more recent chapters. Also, I feel as though I sort of verged on Summer bashing, and that wasn't really my intent, so if you're a Summer fan and you feel that I was mean; I'm sorry. But I do feel that the way she reacted is pretty close to how she would really react on the show. **

**Anyway, only a few more days until the move! Saturday is the big day! Woohoo!**

**As always, let me know what you thought of the chapter. I so love to hear what you all have to say, even if its criticism (constructive, of course)! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18: I Wanna Marry You**

"_Little girl, I wanna marry you / Oh yeah, little girl, I wanna marry you / Yes I do / Little girl, I wanna marry you / Now, honey, I don't wanna clip your wings / But a time comes when two people should think of these things / Having a home and a family / Facing up to their responsibilities / They say in the end true love prevails / But in the end true love can't be no fairytale / To say I'll make your dreams come true would be wrong / But maybe, darlin', I could help them along / Little girl, I wanna marry you."_

"Mom, Dad! Time to wake up!" Annabelle sang through Payson and Sasha's bedroom door on Sunday morning. Her voice was followed by a few quick raps against the wood. Payson groaned and buried her face in Sasha's neck and he laughed. Pressing his lips firmly against her forehead Sasha rolled them over so that he was hovering above her.

"We'll be right down!" He called. Payson mirrored his smile, reaching up to trace her fingers over his cheeks before surging up to capture his lips.

"Five minutes or I'll come back with a bucket of cold water!" Payson and Sasha burst into laughter.

"I guess we'd better go then," Sasha laughed. He climbed out of bed and slipped into jeans and a t-shirt. Payson watched the play of his back muscles as he lifted the shirt over his head, taking just a moment to admire his wonderful physique. Though he wasn't a competing gymnast anymore, his body still looked it; strong muscular back and shoulders like cut granite.

Sasha turned to find her staring and smirked wolfishly. He stalked across the room and crawled over her, leaning down to kiss her fiercely.

"Get dressed, or Annabelle will be angry with us," he whispered against her lips.

"At least she let us sleep until eight," Payson sighed, throwing on some clothes as well. Sasha laughed and followed her out the door. At the top of the stairs Payson stopped, her mouth starting to water.

"What smells so good?" Sasha asked.

"I don't know," Payson breathed. They descended the stairs quickly, moving into the kitchen where Harper was seated in her booster seat and Annabelle was setting the table. A small bouquet of flowers was propped in a vase in the middle of the table.

"Annabelle," Payson breathed.

"Sit," Annabelle ordered. Payson and Sasha sank into their seats as Annabelle turned back to the stove. She brought over a large pan, dividing shredded hash browns that smelled better than hash browns should onto each plate. Then she retrieved another pan and added an egg, over easy, on top of the pile of potatoes on each plate except Harper's. Harper got scrambled. Then came the kicker; cinnamon buns sliced thick and cooked like French toast.

"Belle, what is this?" Sasha asked, dumbstruck. Annabelle blushed and sat down in her seat.

"I know I'm not supposed to eat like this, but my parents have always said that Samantha and I should have one meal a week that's whatever we want. This is the breakfast my Dad makes, it's our favorite. Anyway, I just…I wanted to thank you guys for being so great. For letting me stay with you and everything," Annabelle said, shrugging dismissively.

"Oh Annabelle, we love having you stay with us," Payson said softly, reaching across the table and squeezing the girl's hand. Annabelle had been staying with them for over a week, and the house had been brighter, happier for it. It almost felt like they had two children, which was of course making Payson think more about having a baby with Sasha.

"I'll overlook the food choice, just this once," Sasha said with a smile. Annabelle smiled broadly.

"This looks fantastic, Belle," Payson said. She picked up her fork and dug in, taking a heaping scoop of hash browns and egg. The moment the food hit her tongue, she moaned softly. Though she didn't eat as strict a diet as she had during her competition days, she was still careful with what she ate; she almost never indulged in a meal like the one Annabelle had made.

"My Dad taught me to cook. It's our thing," she said brightly.

"How's your sister?" Sasha asked.

"She's doing okay. My parents say that the doctors will let her fly in two more weeks. They'll come home then." Payson didn't miss the way Annabelle's eyes brightened. The poor girl missed her sister terribly.

"That's wonderful." Neither Payson nor Sasha asked about the possibility of Samantha returning to gymnastics. They both knew it was unlikely a doctor would clear Samantha for anything that might result in another head injury; with a skull fracture a second blow could spell death, or at least severe incapacitation. Someday, maybe, but for this Olympic cycle it was likely that Samantha was done.

"I'm excited," Annabelle said, nodding. Then she sat up straight and smiled even more brightly. "So, now that I've nailed the triple, what other never-before done skill can I work on?"

#

"Annabelle is really on a mission to blow everyone away in Johannesburg," Payson said, reclining back in her office chair. Sasha grunted in response, reading through the mass of emails the Rock had gotten over the weekend.

"I'm not sure she has time to perfect anything truly heroic," Sasha said, his eyes flicking back and forth across the screen. She saw his eyes narrow and then he shook his head, rubbing his temples. "Come look at this."

Payson came around his desk, bracing her hands on his shoulders and leaning down to see what he was indicating. She nearly choked on the coffee she'd been drinking, sputtering as it burned her throat. Lauren Tanner had sent Sasha a sketch of what she wanted to design for Team USA. The leos were red, blue, and gold, which wasn't the bad part. The top half of each leo was red, and the sweetheart neckline was bordered with gold trim; the bottom was blue with tiny white stars, and across the middle was a gold band, almost like a belt. The upper chest and long sleeves were red mesh, and sparkly silver ribbon was worked in around the wrists.

"Oh my God, she wants to turn our girls into Wonder Woman," Payson breathed. Sasha snorted.

"I think that's as close as she could get without violating some sort of copyright," Sasha said.

"Tell her no. That's tacky; our girls aren't wearing anything like that to the Olympics. We're going with GK," Payson insisted. Sasha sighed.

"Lauren is not going to like that."

"I don't care what Lauren thinks," Payson snapped. Sasha, laughed, holding his hands up in defense.

"I'm just saying," Sasha said. Payson rolled her eyes and drained her coffee.

"I'm going to run Harper over to my parents' before the other girls get here." Sasha gave her a small wave as she jogged down the stairs.

In the middle of the floor, Annabelle was helping Harper with her back walkover. Payson paused at the edge of the mats, watching the two girls interact. She couldn't help but smile at how close they had gotten since Annabelle had all but moved in; Harper idolized Annabelle, followed her around every minute she could, and Annabelle was so indulging.

"Time to go, bugaboo," Payson called. "Grandma's waiting."

Harper jumped to her feet and ran across the mats, waving goodbye to Annabelle as Payson scooped her up.

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to be just like Annabelle," Harper insisted. Payson smiled and pressed a kiss to her little angel's head. There were a lot worse people for her to want to be.

#

"How's it going, having a teenager in the house?" Kim asked as she poured coffee into a Styrofoam cup for Payson. Harper had already run off to "play" outside with Mark, who was really doing yard work.

"Annabelle's been fantastic. On Sunday, she made us all breakfast as a thank you for letting her stay with us," Payson explained. Kim's eyes went wide.

"Are you sure she's sixteen?"

"I'm sure." Payson laughed. "She's a good kid."

For a little while they were silent, just sipping their coffee and enjoy the crispness of the mountain morning. Payson could feel her mother's eyes on her, studying her the way she did when she wanted to say something. Payson's eyes ticked over to Kim's, telling her to just get it over with. Kim smiled.

"You want another one, don't you?" Kim asked knowingly. Payson sighed. She should have known she wouldn't be able to keep that particular desire from her mother.

"I do. But it's not the right time," Payson said with a sigh.

"Why not?" Kim's tone didn't suggest protest or disagreement, just curiosity. Payson stayed silent for a few moments, gathering her thoughts.

"Things have just been so crazy since Sasha and I got together; first with the divorce, and then with the break up, and then with the custody stuff," Payson listed, shaking her head. "And there's still some tension over the marriage thing, even though we try to ignore it. I just…I want us to have a little time to figure everything out before we make a decision like that."

Kim snorted with laughter.

"Oh honey, you'll never have everything figured out. There is no perfect time to have a baby," Kim reminded her. Payson nodded, running her index finger around the rim of her cup.

"I know," she whispered. Then she took a deep breath. "Sasha isn't going to want to have a baby until we're married."

"Where is all this traditionalism coming from? He's never seemed that committed to it before," Kim said.

"It doesn't have anything to do with being traditional. He really wants to be married, and I think his greatest fear is that we'll get comfortable…playing house, he called it. He was even uneasy about moving in. If we have a baby together before we get married, he's going to think that I won't have any reason to marry him and we'll just be dating forever," Payson explained. Kim frowned.

"Is he right?" Kim asked. Payson shrugged.

"No. Yes. I don't know. I know that this fear I have is irrational, I _know_ it is. But that doesn't stop me from nearly having a panic attack every time someone mentions it."

Kim reached out to toy with Payson's hair, twirling it around her fingers like she used to when Payson was young.

"I think, when someone has been through what you have, that feeling doesn't ever go away. Especially for someone like you, who is so used to being in control; you made a career out of being in absolute control. It comes down to trust. Do you trust Sasha?" Kim asked. Payson's brow furrowed.

"Of course I do. I always have."

"There you go. You've always trusted him to keep your body safe, no its time to trust him with your heart."

#

"I'm here for an appointment at one o'clock," Payson told the receptionist Wednesday afternoon. The young girl smiled up at her, reaching for the phone.

"Please have a seat. Mr. Tanner will be out in a moment."

Payson had barely sunk into the plush leather cushions when Steve came out from his office, smiling warmly. He held out his hand to shake, leaning in to kiss her cheek and then guiding her towards the office.

"I have to say, I was more than a little shocked when I saw your name in my appointment log. After that dinner…"

"Don't worry about it, it's forgotten," Payson assured him. Steve smiled in thanks.

"Can I get you anything; water, tea, coffee?" Steve asked. Payson sat down in one of the chairs across from his desk and shook her head.

"No, thanks."

"Okay then. What can I do for you?"

"What else will it take to make Sasha Harper's legal father?" Steve paused for just a moment, almost like a stutter, before pulling out Payson's file. He chewed on his bottom lip.

"I have to be honest Payson, getting Jeffrey to sign away his rights wasn't the only road block in getting Sasha down as Harper's legal guardian," Steve said.

"So what do I need to do?" Payson pressed.

"No judge in his right mind is going to allow Sasha to adopt Harper if the two of you aren't married. It's just not going to happen," Steve said, apologetically. He understood how Payson felt about marriage. It was still strange to Payson, but throughout the divorce process she and Steve had actually bonded. Steve knew what it was like to have a drug abuser as an ex, what it was like to have a child in the middle of it all, and how scary it was to face the prospect of marriage again. He understood her in a way not many others did, certainly none of her friends.

"Okay," Payson said slowly.

"Have you given it any thought?" Steve asked.

"What, getting married? Of course I have." Steve shifted, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his desk, and looked Payson in the eyes.

"Marrying Summer was the best decision I've ever made," he said pointedly. Payson nodded.

"Thanks Steve. I'll get back to you."

Scooping up her purse, Payson hurried out of the office. She had a lot of thinking to do.

#

"Annabelle! Dinner!" Payson called as she set plates on the table. A moment later she heard the rhythmic thumping of Annabelle's feet in the hallway. Harper came chasing shortly behind.

"Sorry. We were playing Olympics," Annabelle gasped, flinging herself into her seat. She helped Harper scramble into her booster seat and then got up to get everyone water. "So, I've been thinking."

"Oh no," Payson groaned, smiling. Sasha came in from the office and looked between them.

"What?" he asked.

"Annabelle's been thinking," Payson said dramatically. Sasha laughed.

"That's never good," he teased.

"Hey!" Annabelle protested. "I was thinking about another big move I could use to win in Johannesburg."

"Okay, what did you have in mind?" Sasha asked.

"I was thinking about a double front tuck full off the beam. It isn't in the Code of Points yet, but I think it would be a G skill, wouldn't it?" Annabelle asked. "I know it's been done before, but it's more realistic that I'll perfect it before the Olympics than another skill that no woman has done."

"It hasn't been done much," Payson pointed out. "It's still rare enough that you'll get a big score out of it if you stick it."

"Exactly what I was thinking!" Annabelle said brightly.

"We can start working on it, but if it isn't up to par by Trials we're going to scrap it," Sasha warned. Annabelle nodded quickly.

"Of course," she said.

"Good. We'll start on Monday"

#

"You want to have kids, right?" Payson asked, tracing swirls against Sasha's bare chest. He purred, and she could feel the rumbling against her skin. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his ribs.

"With you? Absolutely." His arms tightened around her.

"How would you feel about starting small? Like…adopting Harper?" Sasha shifted beneath her, twisting so that he could look at her. She turned her face up to him, meeting his eyes.

"Are you serious?" Sasha asked. They had talked about Sasha being Harper's father, when she started calling him Daddy, but never in an official way. Never about actual adoption.

"I'm very serious. I want Harper to be yours, as much as she possibly can be," Payson said, smiling softly at him. She watched as his brow furrowed, as he mulled over the implications of what she was saying.

"Don't we have to be married for that?" Sasha asked slowly. Payson smiled broadly.

"Yes." Silence reigned for a long minutes as Payson watched Sasha struggle with how to react. There was a cautious hope in his eyes as he searched her, looking for the right answer.

"Payson, I need you to spell this out for me," Sasha said slowly. Payson twisted up onto her knees, hovering over him and staring straight into his eyes so he would know she was serious.

"I. Want. To. Marry. You."

"If you're joking…" Payson's loud laugh cut him off.

"Why would I joke about this?" Payson asked, still laughing. Excitement bloomed on his face, taking away at least ten years. He looked like a boy, and that made Payson's smile nearly split her face.

"You want to marry me?" He asked again.

"Yes. I want to marry you, Sasha. I want to be your wife."

Sasha rolled them quickly and Payson shrieked, giggling as he reversed their positions. His lips crashed against hers, making her gasp sharply as he delved into her mouth. When she moaned, he pulled away.

"Well," he said with a smirk. "You're just going to have to wait until I've asked you."

**A/N: As usual, a HUGE (I'm talking a parade and fireworks huge) thank you to Egyptian Kiss, franxample, BearyFunny66, Xhex-Athame-Snape, Crayon115, SunStar123, explamation points forever, and JTellersOldLady for your reviews!**

**I know that Payson seems to have changed her mind awfully quick, but there's a point when people have to decide to either get over it or not, and Payson reached that point. Hopefully you all understand why it happened and what her thought process was, but if you'd like to discuss it further, feel free to PM me!**

**Oh, and guess what guys? This chapter is being posted from my new apartment in DENVER! I am so in love with it here, everyone should visit if they have the chance. It's gorgeous.**

**As always, I really appreciate reviews of all kinds (the good, bad, and ugly)!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19: Be My Wife**

"_Please be mine / Share my life / Stay with me / Be my wife"_

"Why are we working in the annex today?" Annabelle asked, trailing behind Payson as she led the girl through the parking lot to the Rock's annex.

"Just like with the triple, the first few times you do your new dismount off the harness are going to be into pit," Payson explained. Annabelle nodded, skipping a little. Payson smiled.

"Samantha comes home tomorrow?" Payson asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Annabelle said, smiling broadly.

"Well, I'm glad you two will be together again, but we'll miss having you around the house," Payson said as she opened the doors to the annex and led Annabelle inside. Annabelle shucked her warm ups and set them on a chair in the corner. This early in the day there wasn't anyone else working there, so they had it to themselves.

"I'll miss you guys too," Annabelle said. "Especially Harper. At least I'll still get to see you and Sasha every day."

"You can come over any time you like. Now let's get started."

"Can I ask you a question?" Annabelle asked as she pulled herself from the pit after an hour of working her double front tuck full.

"Sure," Payson said. She gathered her clipboard and waited as Annabelle put her warm ups back on. They were going to give the new dismount a break and train her other apparatuses.

"Did you and Sasha really have something going on when you were still competing?" Annabelle asked. Payson stopped in her tracks.

"What?" Annabelle blushed and shrugged.

"I just, I was reading some news articles this weekend, and there were a few about you two having some secret affair," Annabelle explained. Payson sighed and shook her head.

"No, Belle, we were never together until I started working at the Rock."

"I didn't figure, I just…was curious," Annabelle said. Payson smiled softly at her.

"It's fine, I'm just surprised those articles are still online. That was…God, that was a lifetime ago," Payson said, laughing at the memory.

As they crossed the parking lot back to the main gym, a Porsche screeched into one of the guest parking spaces, nearly running them over. Payson groaned.

"Oh my God, is that…"

"Lauren, hey," Payson said. It had been three weeks since Sasha had sent her an email politely declining to use her Wonder Woman atrocity and they hadn't heard a word from her. Payson had mistakenly thought they might be off the hook.

"Hi Pay. I brought over some new sketches, come on." She waved a thick manila folder at Payson and led the way inside.

"That's Lo Tanner. I LOVE her stuff," Annabelle whispered to Payson. "Oh my God, is she designing something for you? Like a wedding dress?"

Payson shook her head.

"No, Belle. She wants to design Team USA's Olympic leos," Payson assured her. Annabelle huffed.

"When are you and Sasha going to get married already?"

Payson bought herself some time by taking a few deep breaths. She and Sasha hadn't talked about it since the day she told him she wanted to marry him. She knew that he wanted to propose to her, to make it special and all that, but until she actually had a ring on her finger…what was she supposed to call herself? Was she his fiancée? Or still just his girlfriend?

"I don't know. Why do you think we should get married?" Annabelle shrugged.

"You guys are just, like…meant to be," Annabelle said.

"Payson!" Payson jumped at the shrill sound of Lauren's voice and then rolled her eyes.

"Go work you floor routine, I'll be down in a little bit." Annabelle bounced off to work on her floor routine and Payson sighed, climbing the stairs to the office as slowly as she could. When her eyes were level with the window, Payson took a quick peek at what she would be walking in on.

Lauren was pointing furiously at her sketches while Sasha rubbed his forehead. Payson smiled as Lauren waved her arms and Sasha sighed. She saw his shoulders slump and knew that if she didn't get in there soon, he was going to give in. Payson ran the last few steps and put on her best fake smile.

"Lauren! What a surprise," Payson said sweetly. "What can we do for you?" Payson settled herself onto the edge of the desk and waited for Lauren to launch into her sales pitch.

"I brought four new sketches for the Team USA leos. I still don't understand why you guys didn't like the first ones, but you clearly don't have my fashion sense. I mean…look at you," Lauren said, waving at Payson. Payson looked down at her jeans and t-shirt combo and then looked at Sasha, who rolled his eyes.

"Lauren, Sasha and I would really prefer to stick with GK for the leos. We've built a rapport with them and we're just very comfortable with them. We don't need haute couture leos," Payson said. Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Just look at these. Look," Lauren insisted, shoving the sketches at Payson. When Payson didn't immediately reach for them, Lauren waved them insistently.

"Fine, we'll take a look," Payson sighed, reaching for the manila folder. Lauren grinned triumphantly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Later, Lauren. We'll look at them later."

"Oh. Well, fine. Well just so you know I'm going to need an answer by Monday, because we really don't have that much more time," Lauren advised. Payson took a deep breath and felt Sasha's fingers around her wrist.

"Yes, Lauren, we understand. Thank you for stopping by."

#

"I have an idea," Sasha said as Annabelle started clearing the table after dinner.

"What's that?" Payson asked. She stood up and grabbed a wash cloth to get Harper cleaned up as Sasha moved to help Annabelle.

"I think that tonight we deserve some ice cream," he said. Payson frowned.

"Why tonight?"

"Sasha, if I go out for ice cream I'm not going to be able to do my triple in Johannesburg," Annabelle warned, earning a warm chuckle from Sasha.

"If it will make you feel better you can get frozen yogurt," Sasha promised.

"You still haven't told us why tonight especially deserves ice cream," Payson pressed. Sasha shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes.

"It just does. So are you coming?" Sasha asked as he picked up his keys and twirled them around his finger.

"Yes!" Harper shrieked. "Please Mommy?" Payson glared at Sasha, though it had no real fire behind it, and then rolled her eyes.

"Fine, ice cream it is."

The four of them piled into the car and Sasha drove them through town, to an ice cream stand Payson hadn't realized was even still around. She recognized the bright, multi-colored swirls of paint on the outside and the big, bold sign that professed to have the best ice cream in Boulder immediately.

"Sasha!" She gasped, unable to keep from smiling. He winked at her from the driver's seat.

"What?" Annabelle asked, lunging forward from the back seat to see what all the fuss was about.

"The last time Sasha brought me here I was sixteen," Payson said. Annabelle's head whipped towards Sasha.

"You made her eat ice cream too! You are a terrible coach," Annabelle said dramatically, shaking her head and clucking her tongue. Sasha laughed.

"She had frozen yogurt, just like you're going too. Come on," Sasha said, navigating the car into a parking space. Annabelle and Harper ran up to the window hand in hand while Payson and Sasha followed slowly behind.

"Feeling nostalgic?" Payson asked, leaning her head on his shoulder. Sasha pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Something like that."

When everyone had ordered their ice cream, Sasha suggested a walk. Annabelle and Harper ran ahead, playing and laughing, and Payson wished right then that she could adopt Annabelle, make her officially part of the family. She had no idea what they were going to do when Annabelle was no longer staying with them. Of course, she was glad that Samantha was finally able to come home, but she was going to miss Annabelle.

"Harper's going to miss having a big sister around," Payson whispered. Sasha gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"I know, love. It will be good for Annabelle to spend time with her real family though." They walked for a little while longer, through the quaint downtown, until Sasha called out for Annabelle and Harper to stop. "Right here, ladies!"

Payson took in her surroundings and her heart started to beat hard. The grand steps leading up to the theatre where Sasha had taken her to the ballet loomed just ahead. Annabelle and Harper were playing on them as Sasha led her halfway up.

"What is this place, Daddy?" Harper asked, bouncing up to Sasha and hugging his leg. Sasha reached out to smooth back her hair, smiling down at her.

"This puiule, is a very magical place. I took your mom here when she was sixteen," Sasha explained.

"The same night you forced her to eat ice cream?" Annabelle asked with more sass in her voice than Sasha usually appreciated from his gymnasts. But he smiled.

"Yes," he said. Payson felt her entire body humming with nervous energy as Sasha took her hands and sank to one knee. Suddenly she couldn't catch her breath, and she thought that if Sasha let go of her hands she might topple over.

"Payson, I think I fell a little bit in love with you that night. I certainly didn't realize it right away, or if I did I forced myself to forget, but watching you grow, watching you realize that you could be strong and feminine, graceful and powerful, was the most beautiful transformation I have ever seen. Every day since then I have loved you in one way or another, and if you let me, I will never stop loving you for as long as I live." Sasha reached into his pocket with one hand and pulled out a small black box.

"Dragostea de viata mea, esti totul pentru mine; motivul pentru care am trezi în fiecare dimineaţă. Payson Keeler, will you marry me?"

A wave of peace settled over Payson at his words, the same kind of peace she found when she was standing before the bars, waiting to begin a routine; she knew that leaping onto the those bars was dangerous; it could, and had, end very badly, but there was no place in the world she would rather be. No place where she felt more at home, more secure in her life's path than swinging high above the ground with no safety net to catch her if she fell. She smiled.

"Yes," she whispered. Then she cleared her throat and her voice was a little stronger. "Yes, of course I'll marry you."

Annabelle shrieked, taking Harper's hands and dancing around with her. Sasha surged to his feet, wrapping his arms around her waist and twirling her before setting her back down and kissing her so thoroughly she wasn't sure where she ended and he began.

Sasha pulled away and opened the ring box. Nestled inside was the most gorgeous diamond ring Payson had ever seen. The oval cut center diamond had to be at least two carats, with three smaller diamonds laid into the platinum band on either side. Slowly, Sasha slipped it onto her left ring finger. Payson wiggled her fingers, watching it sparkle beneath the street lights.

"I love you so much."

#

"As much as I love seeing your beautiful face, why couldn't this wait until our next regularly scheduled video chat?" Kelly asked. Payson looked between the three little boxes on the screen, each with an image of Kaylie, Emily, or Kelly. Payson smiled. It was a miracle she'd managed to wait three days after her and Sasha's official engagement to call the video conference, she couldn't imagine waiting another four until their next scheduled chat.

"Well, I have something very important that I want to ask you all," Payson said, trying not to immediately give the news away.

"Okay, well…what is it?" Emily asked.

"What do you all have planned for the weekend of May 20th?"

"Like two months from now?" Kaylie asked, sounding confused. Payson nodded.

"Yeah, two months from now exactly," Payson said.

"I'm free," Emily said.

"Me too," Kaylie said. Kelly narrowed her eyes at Payson.

"Why?" She asked. Payson huffed.

"Are you free or not?"

"Of course I'm free. Now, why?"

"Because," Payson said coyly. "I'm going to need some bridesmaids."

Payson held up her hand, showing of her engagement ring. The girls shrieked and screamed and Payson could have sworn that they were in the room with her. Even Kelly, hard ass, pessimistic Kelly, was grinning broadly and bouncing with excitement.

"You said yes?" Kelly gasped.

"I did."

"Pay, that ring is gorgeous! I've never seen anything like it," Kaylie breathed.

"Thanks. So what do you say, guys? Will you stand up with me?"

"Of course we will!" Kaylie cried. "But Payson, are you sure two months is long enough to plan a wedding?"

"Especially with Trials coming up," Kelly broke in. "I mean, you're planning to get married four weeks before the Olympic Trials. You won't even be able to take a honeymoon until after Johannesburg."

Payson shrugged and shook her head. "No matter when we got married we wouldn't be taking a honeymoon until after Johannesburg. And Kaylie, two months is plenty. We have to get a dress, a place, and a caterer. I could plan this thing in two weeks."

"Oh honey, it takes so much more than that to plan a wedding. Don't worry, we'll figure it out," Kaylie promised.

"Enough of this wedding talk," Kelly said, waving her hand. "What about the bachelorette party?"

**A/N: Thank you, thank you to JTellersOldLady, Tracy137, HarryPotterFan2010, franxample, goalie19, Egyptian Kiss, Kiwiflea, and SunStar123 for your reviews!**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I know it's a little short, but that's just the way this one ended up. I will try to make the next one longer, promise. Also, next chapter we'll be taking a break from the wedding stuff and focusing on some gymnastics. **

**As always, I would absolutely LOVE it if you left me a review telling me what you thought. Until next time!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20: Shattered Dreams**

"_When we were young the future was so bright / The old neighborhood was so live / Every kid on the whole damn street / Was gonna make it big / And not get beat / … / Chances thrown / Nothing's free / Longing for / What it used to be / Still it's hard, hard to see / Fragile lives / Shattered dreams."_

"Payson, hurry up! We've got to be at the gym in fifteen minutes!" Sasha called from down the hall in Harper's room, where he was putting together a small bag for her to take to Grandma and Grandpa Keeler's.

Payson scrambled to gather her things for the day. They still had to drop off Harper and she was dying for a cup of coffee, at this rate they wouldn't make it to the Rock anywhere near on time. Slinging her purse over her shoulder she took one last look around the room to make sure she had everything.

Her gaze landed on the black box on top of her dresser. She hadn't been wearing her engagement ring in public, wanting to keep the news in the family for a little while, but keeping her finger bare when her ring was sitting there waiting for her was excruciating. Rubbing her thumb over where her ring should be, Payson reached for the box and slipped it on. She and Sasha had enjoyed two weeks of newly engaged life, and it was time to stop tip-toeing around.

"Payson!"

"Coming!" With the weight of her ring comfortable on her finger, she hurried to meet Sasha and Harper. They were already halfway down the stairs, Harper draped over Sasha's shoulder, fast asleep. At the bottom, Payson slipped past Sasha and opened the door before running to the car and opening the back so that Sasha could deposit Harper in her car seat uninterrupted.

"You're wearing your ring," he muttered as he buckled Harper in. Payson smiled.

"Is that okay with you?" she asked. Sasha closed the door softly and then reached for Payson, taking her firmly by the waist and pulling her into his chest. She snaked her hands up over his chiseled shoulders and around the back of her neck, sifting her fingers through the short hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Yes," he said before sweeping in to kiss her firmly. She bent backwards with the momentum, tightening her hold on him and laughing against his lips as he pressed forward to exaggerate the dip.

"We're late," she reminded him, pulling back just enough to get the words out. Sasha growled, sweeping his tongue into her mouth for just a moment before stepping away.

"Fine," he groused. "Let's go."

#

There was already a group of ten gymnasts waiting outside when they finally pulled up to the Rock. Sasha sighed as he put the car in park.

"You just had to have your coffee," he teased. Payson raised an eyebrow.

"Would you rather have dealt with an un-caffeinated me?" she asked sweetly. Sasha snorted.

"Never. But we do have a coffee machine in the office, you know." Now it was Payson's turn to snort.

"Not quick enough, that thing is so old it takes an hour to brew two cups." They slid from the car, Payson with her coffee clutched in her right hand, her left hanging what she hoped was inconspicuously by her purse. They weren't actively trying to hide their engagement, but if the gymnasts just happened to not notice she would be okay with it. The chances of that though, when the diamond on her finger was two carats, were slim.

"See, this is why I should have just stayed," Annabelle said as Sasha unlocked the doors. "I go home with Sam and my parents and you two fall apart."

"Get to work, you cheeky brat," Sasha said, though his tone lacked any real bite. Annabelle skipped away and Payson climbed the steps to the office, ready to slog through all the emails and phone calls the Rock had gotten on Sunday while Sasha ran conditioning.

"Payson?" Payson jerked and looked up to find Annabelle leaning in from outside.

"Shouldn't you be conditioning?" Payson asked. Annabelle nodded quickly, her gaze landing on Payson's ring.

"You're wearing your ring?" Payson sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but please don't go making an announcement. Now what do you need?" Payson pressed. Sasha would come looking for Annabelle any second.

"Oh, right," Annabelle said, giving her head a little shake. "Sam is stopping by with my parents in a little while. They wanted to talk to you and Sasha, I thought I'd give you the heads up."

"Thank you. Now get back to work," Payson urged. Annabelle gave her a tiny salute and then disappeared.

Payson set about returning emails, ignoring four from Lauren about whether or not they'd decided on which of her sketches to use. The rest were mostly mundane questions from parents about one thing or another, and of course a random media request was thrown in the mix as well. All easy answers, except the ones from Lauren. Payson knew she was going to have to find a way to let the girl down gently and soon.

The main doors banged open, making Payson jump. Judging by the murmur that went through the group on the floor, it could only be one person.

"Payson Keeler!" Lauren cried as she swept into the office. Payson took a deep breath and held it in, counting to ten.

"Lauren," Payson said, giving her former teammate a thin smile.

"You told me that you and Sasha would decide on my sketches a week ago. I need to get started soon and you delaying the process is only….oh my God!" Lauren's shriek was so loud it left Payson's ears ringing, and she was certain one of her eardrums had ruptured.

"What?" Payson asked sharply. Sasha came barreling into the office.

"What is it?" he gasped. Payson shook her head.

"You're engaged!" Lauren screamed, just a shrilly as before. Payson resisted the urge to slap her hands over her ears. The gym went dead silent and Payson knew their secret was out.

"Yes, Lauren," Payson admitted with a sigh. "Sasha and I are engaged." Lauren squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands together before throwing her arms around Sasha and then practically sitting herself in Payson's lap.

"When's the big day?" Lauren gasped. Payson rolled her eyes and decided to just be straight with Lauren, she would find out eventually anyway.

"Six weeks." Lauren gasped, choking on air as her eyes went wide and a pained look settled over her face.

"Six. Weeks?"

"Six weeks," Sasha confirmed. Payson could see the tension in his jaw and she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Okay, well, forget the leos. You can call GK for those, if I only have six weeks to design and make your wedding dress it's going to take all my energy and this is so much more important," Lauren said. She fumbled in her giant designer purse, pulling out a pen and a notepad. "I have so many ideas."

"Lauren," Payson sighed.

"Payson, can I speak to you a minute?" Sasha jumped in. Payson frowned at him, but stood and followed him out onto the platform at the top of the stairs. The whole gym was staring and the moment they appeared the room burst into applause and cheers. Payson felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Get back to work!" Sasha bellowed. The gymnasts immediately scattered, more afraid of Sasha than they were excited.

"They're happy for us, Sasha," Payson whispered admonishingly.

"I'll apologize later. Listen, would it be so bad to have Lauren make your dress? You've said before some of her formal stuff is very good and you could have some measure of control. Besides, it would take her mind off the leos," Sasha suggested. Payson bristled.

"But, I don't like her," she whined. She knew she sounded childish, but having to spend that kind of time with Lauren was likely to drive her insane.

"Come on, Payson," Sasha said. Her shoulders slumped.

"Fine. Lauren," she called into the office. "how about we meet later this week to discuss details?"

Lauren shrieked again and came barreling out of the office to hug her. Halfhearted , Payson returned the embrace.

"We'll have to get your measurements too. Oh! And I'll bring by some fabric samples." Payson reached out and touched Lauren's arm.

"Lauren." Lauren continued to babble. "Lauren! Look, how about first things first we just talk about the type of dress I want. Then you can take measurements and we can look at fabric, okay?"

"Oh sure, sure. Okay, I'll see you later." Lauren bounced happily down the stairs, humming all the way out the door. As soon as the doors swung shut behind her, Payson breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's going to be the death of me," Payson muttered. Sasha laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her head.

"Annabelle's parents are here with Samantha," he whispered into her hair. Payson pulled out of his embrace to look over her shoulder. Samantha was standing at the foot of the stairs, flanked by her parents.

"Samantha, how are you?" Payson asked, moving away from Sasha and gesturing the family into the office.

"Good, thanks," Samantha said softly, slipping past Payson. Once everyone was comfortably seated, Sasha took over.

"What can we do you for you?" Sasha asked. Samantha shifted in her chair and then reached up to rub her head, the same spot where she'd hit it when she fell. Payson winced as the accident flashed through her mind's eye.

"I…I'd like to come back," Samantha stammered. Payson's heart stalled, but Samantha kept talking. "My doctor said that I'm fully healed and I'm feeling really strong. I'd really like to come back."

"Samantha," Sasha started. Payson reached over and laid a hand on his arm, giving it a tiny squeeze. He fell silent.

"What do you think about this?" Payson asked, directing her question at the girl's parents. They shared a look, hesitating and Payson immediately understood what they thought; they were torn between wanting their daughter to be happy and do what she loved, and wanting to keep her locked up and safe for the rest of her days. It was a common reaction in gymnastics parents whose children had suffered a severe injury like Samantha had. Like she had.

"We've talked with Samantha about this at length," her mother said. "And if she wants to come back we will support her."

Payson looked to Sasha. His shoulders were tense, his mouth set in a thing line, and she knew that he was struggling with what he was about to say. It was always difficult to tell an athlete their Olympic dream was dead.

"Samantha, gymnastics is not a sport without risk. Every time an athlete gets up on the beam, or runs for the vault, there's a serious chance that they will fall. Not every fall is devastating, not every fall ends in injury, but falling is part of the sport. I have no doubt that your doctor has said that you're medically healed, but if you take a fall and hit your head, even a fall that would be nothing to someone else, could be catastrophic for you. It's a risk we can't take."

His tone was as gentle as Payson had ever heard from him, but the words still sounded cold and harsh. There was just no way to soften a blow like that. Samantha sat for a moment, silent and staring blankly at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Samantha," Sasha added after a long minute.

"Mhmm," Samantha said quickly, still not looking at either of them. She jumped to her feet and made a beeline for the door. "I understand Sasha, thank you."

Payson moved to follow her but Sasha reached for her hand and she stopped short.

"She needs time," he whispered.

"I know," Payson sighed.

"Come on, let's get back on the floor."

#

"For serious, Lauren Tanner is designing your wedding dress?" Kelly asked. Payson cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she reached up to put clean dishes back in the cupboard. It was late, almost eleven, but she hadn't been able to sleep and Kelly had chronic insomnia so she knew her friend would be awake.

"Yes, Lo is designing my dress. It was either that or let our gymnasts go to the Olympics looking like Wonder Woman," Payson said, laughing a little. Kelly snorted.

"Is she designing our bridesmaid's gowns too? Cause I would rather choke on broken glass than wear anything made by Lauren Tanner," Kelly spat.

"Stop being so damn dramatic, you'll be fine. I will be exercising maximum control," Payson promised.

"Yeah right. Lauren is a runaway freight train, you will not have any control."

"Kelly," Payson sighed.

"Fine, fine. So, why are you calling me so late?" Kelly asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Payson said simply, closing the empty dishwasher and hoping up to sit on the counter.

"Yeah, right. The only time you can't sleep is when there's something on your mind. So, what's on your mind?" Kelly pressed. Payson sighed.

"Samantha came in to talk to Sasha and me today, she wanted to come back to the gym," Payson said quietly.

"And you had to tell her no?"

"Sasha told her no, but Kelly…she was devastated. She barely made it out of the office before she started crying," Payson said, her heart hurting just thinking about it.

"Weren't you? When they told you after your back that you couldn't do gymnastics? Weren't you devastated?" Kelly asked.

"I know, that's why I'm upset. I know exactly how she feels and it just…it kills me, KP. I wish there were something I could do for her, to help her through it," Payson said. She reached up to massage her forehead, feeling a headache starting to throb behind her eyes.

"She just needs a little time to get used to the idea. Samantha is a good, level-headed girl, she'll calm down," Kelly promised. Payson sighed.

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now let's talk about the bachelorette party," Kelly pressed.

"I don't want a bachelorette party," Payson laughed.

"Come on, Pay! Please? It'll be so much better than the last one!" Payson was about to respond when the line beeped, indicating there was a call waiting. She frowned. A call this late at night was never a good thing.

"Kelly I gotta call you back." She hung up and answered the other call without waiting for Kelly's response. "Hello?"

"Coach?" Payson's heart was in her throat. The music and yelling in the background was so loud, Payson could barely hear the girl on the other end. What she could hear was the panic in her voice, there was no mistaking that.

"Annabelle? What's wrong?"

"Um, Samantha…we…can you get Sasha and come pick us up?" Payson leapt of the counter before Annabelle even finished speaking.

"Where are you?" She asked as she ran up the stairs. Annabelle wasn't giving her specifics, but Payson knew she wouldn't sound so upset and scared if something weren't going terribly wrong.

"A house by the lake, on Oakwood Lane. Hurry Payson, please," Annabelle begged.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Payson promised. Then she hung up the phone and dashed into the bedroom. "Sasha, get up."

She didn't bother trying to wake him gently like she usually did. She turned on the lights and threw his jeans on the bed. He grunted, not fully awake. "Get up! Get your keys, let's go!"

Payson walked out of the room, already dialing her mother's number. Her childhood home was halfway between Payson's house and the lake, and someone needed to watch Harper while Payson and Sasha took care of Annabelle.

"Payson, what the bloody hell is going on?" Sasha groaned, stumbling out of the bedroom, his jeans draped over his arm. Payson hurried off the phone with her mother, who promised it was fine to drop Harper off.

"Jeans on, we gotta go. Come on," Payson urged. She ducked into Harper's room, scooping up the sleeping girl, careful not to wake her. When she reappeared in the hallway, Sasha had pulled on his jeans and was following her to the car, still looking very confused.

"Where?" He asked as they got into the car.

"Mom's first, then Oakwood Lane, by the lake."

Sasha didn't ask any more questions.

#

It didn't matter that Annabelle hadn't given Payson a house number; it was obvious which house they were in. The large brick house was pulsing with music that Payson could practically feel in her feet as she and Sasha raced up the driveway. Teenagers were spilling out onto the lawn, drunk and stumbling as they tried to put even more alcohol into their bodies.

"Do we know where she is?" Sasha asked as he grabbed Payson's hand and pushed his way into the house, through throngs of people.

"No." Payson had to shout to be heard, even though she was practically pressed against his back. Sasha stopped and scanned the crowd, heads taller than the party-goers, trying to pinpoint where she might be. "We should check the bathrooms."

Sasha took a deep breath and Payson knew he was about to use everything he had to make himself heard over the crowd.

"Shut up!" he roared. The crowd fell silent except for the music pounding through the stereo. It wouldn't last long though, once everyone got over the shock. "Annabelle!"

"Here!" The cry came from the other side of the living room and Sasha immediately started pushing through the crowd towards her.

Annabelle was huddled in a corner, her arms around a passed out and very pale Samantha. Payson felt Sasha's back tense beneath her fingers, but he didn't say a word. He just scooped Samantha up and then turned back towards the door. Payson reached for Annabelle, pulling her to her feet.

"How much did she have to drink?" Payson asked, pushing Annabelle ahead of her and trying to keep up with Sasha.

"I don't know," Annabelle whined. Sasha wrenched open the car door and laid Samantha out across the back seat while Annabelle and Payson scrambled inside.

"Sasha, breathe," Payson muttered. She did not want to get into a car accident.

"I'm taking you both home," Sasha said, glaring at Annabelle through the rearview mirror.

"No! We told mom and dad we were staying the night at a friend's house," Annabelle said. Sasha growled and Payson reached over to lay her hand on his arm.

"Let's just take them back to our house, Sasha. Mom is keeping Harper all night anyway, and we can lecture them once we get there," she muttered. Sasha looked over at her, his jaw clenched and his knuckles white against the steering wheel.

"Fine."

#

By the time Sasha eased the car into the driveway, Samantha had started to stir. She groaned, pressing her hands to her face as Annabelle begged her not to throw up. Payson cringed at the thought and willed Samantha to hold on. As soon as the car was in park, Payson jumped out of the front seat and ran to unlock the door so that Sasha could help Samantha inside.

"Make it stop spinning," Samantha mumbled as Sasha deposited her on the couch. She leaned against the cushions, her head lolling over the back as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"No, no," Sasha said. "Sit up and open your eyes or you'll be sick."

As soon as Samantha started to sit up, Payson knew it was going to end badly. Only quick thinking and cat like reflexes saved her carpet as Samantha emptied her stomach into the wastebasket Payson handed her. Annabelle shuddered.

"Come on Sam, you'll be more comfortable in the bathroom," Payson said. She helped the girl stand and then took her down the hall to the closest bathroom.

After she made sure Samantha had water and a wet washcloth, Payson made her way back into the living room, where Sasha was pacing and Annabelle sat looking very much like a scared little girl. She leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Sasha to unleash his anger. It was only a matter of time.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Sasha asked, his voice quiet and calm. Payson could see the anger simmering beneath the surface though, and she knew Annabelle could too.

"I'm sorry, Coach," Annabelle whispered.

"Sorry?" Sasha asked, laughing harshly. "Sorry! How could you be so irresponsible? What were you thinking?" Payson winced at the volume of Sasha's voice.

"I was just trying to keep an eye on Samantha. She was so upset," Annabelle said as she started to cry.

"Oh, wonderful!" Sasha cheered. Payson couldn't help but be reminded of the day after she, Kaylie, Emily, and Lauren had gone to a party of their own. "So you haven't been drinking?"

"I…I have," Annabelle admitted, her shoulders sagging. Sasha snorted.

"You're suspended, Annabelle…"

"Sasha!" Payson cried with a gasp.

"What? No!" Annabelle shrieked, jumping to her feet. "Sasha, please! I only have ten weeks until the Trials!" Sasha just stared at her, unwavering.

"You should have thought about that before you decided to go to your little party. I don't want to see you in the gym until a week from Monday," Sasha said.

"A week and a half?" Annabelle sobbed, looking to Payson for help. Payson just shook her head.

"Go to bed, Annabelle," Payson said softly. The girl ran up the stairs, her sobs echoing off the walls. For a few moments, silence reigned, broken only by the sounds of Samantha retching down the hall.

"I wish you had discussed that with me," Payson said, moving into the kitchen to boil water for tea. Sasha followed.

"Would you have agreed?" Sasha asked, his voice ragged.

"Of course…"

"Well then, what's the problem?"

"I'd like to be included in deciding the fate of our gymnast, Sasha!" Payson shouted. "Especially this close to the Games!"

Sasha opened his mouth, ready to yell back, to start a fight, but before he said a word he deflated. His shoulders hunched and he sank down onto a stool at the counter.

"I let my anger get the better of me, love. I'm sorry." Payson went to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing a kiss to his temple.

"Tomorrow is going to be a bad day," she sighed. He reached up, covering her hands with one of his.

"I know."

**A/N: Thanks a million, as always, to SunStar123, JTellersOldLady, Kiwiflea, XNatalieX, HarryPotterFan2010, Egyptian Kiss, goalie19, Gracie, and franxample for your wonderful reviews! And to XNatalieX, my new place in Denver is wonderful and all the people I love who were in the hurricane's path are safe and sound! Thanks so much for asking **

**Now, about the chapter; most of this was written at 4 am while battling the most ridiculous insomnia ever. I think it makes sense, but if it doesn't, just keep that in mind. And what will happen with Annabelle? I don't know! Well, actually yes I do, but I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to keep reading and see! You know originally I hadn't planned for this fic to go any longer than 15 chapters? Yeah right. Now it's looking like 25-30. But as long as you all love it, I'm okay with that!**

**Wow, done rambling. Let me know what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 21: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant**

"_Do you remember those days hanging out at the village green? / Engineer boots, leather jackets and tight blue jeans / Oh you drop a dime in the box play a song about New Orleans / Cold beer, hot lights, my sweet romantic teenage nights"_

"Is he really suspending me for a week and a half?" Annabelle whispered at breakfast the morning after Payson and Sasha had picked her and Samantha up from a party.

"Yes, and he's making the right decision. You messed up Annabelle, time to face the consequences," Payson reminded her, not bothering to lower her voice. Sasha turned from the pan at the stove where he was making breakfast and glared at his rogue gymnast.

"Just because you're well on your way to being an Olympic champion does not mean that the rules don't apply to you. You're lucky I didn't suspend you indefinitely," Sasha said through his teeth. He was still fuming over the night before and Payson knew it would be a long while before he could look at Annabelle the same way again.

"Sasha," Annabelle started, but she was interrupted by a groan from the doorway. Samantha was leaning up against the wall looking pale and very hung over. Payson held out a cup of coffee.

"I don't think I can eat," Samantha moaned, sitting on the empty stool and leaning her head against the cool marble counter.

"You need to eat. Sit up, sip your coffee and then you'll eat this breakfast I'm making for you," Sasha insisted. "My hangover breakfasts have never failed."

"Where's Harper?" Annabelle asked.

"At my mother's," Payson said shortly. "Listen, you are suspended but that doesn't mean you have the week off. You need to keep a strict cardio schedule."

"Will you write something out for me?" Annabelle asked quietly. Payson smiled softly and held out a slip of paper.

"I already have."

#

Payson sighed as she unlocked the Rock's office door. Sasha had been tense and snappy all morning, and it didn't bode well for the day ahead. She pitied the gymnasts. Sasha followed her in, tossing a stack of files onto the desk and sighing heavily.

"Hey," Payson said, turning towards him and reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Take a breath."

Sasha did as she asked, breathing slowly and deeply while bracing his hands on the desk. He shook his head.

"I expected more from her," he muttered. Payson sifted her fingers through his hair, scratching lightly.

"I know, me too." Sasha stood up quickly, nearly knocking Payson back a step, and reached for her. His lips crashed down against hers as he pulled her tightly against his chest, deepening the kiss almost immediately. Payson gasped as their tongues dueled and he turned them, lifting her to sit on the edge of the desk.

"Sasha we can't," Payson gasped as he latched onto her neck, nipping at the skin there knowing it would make her shudder.

"Bugger that," he said, his breath hot against her ear. She bit her lip against a moan as his tongue flicked out to taste the shell of her ear.

"Sasha," she breathed, only half protesting. His grip on her thighs tightened in response. She knew that it was his way of displacing his anger, channeling it into something pleasurable, if not productive.

Payson was prepared to let go, to lose herself in the moment despite the fact that the gymnasts were due in less than half an hour, but they were interrupted by the sound of a group of people walking into the gym.

"Stop," Payson gasped harshly, pushing Sasha away. He backed away, but she knew he hadn't heard anything; he never did when he was focused on her that way. "Someone's here."

Sasha nodded and raked a hand through his hair as Payson straightened her shirt. They only had a moment to collect themselves before two people entered the office, one of whom Payson and Sasha both knew.

Ellen Beals and a newcomer in a suit charged in like they owned the place. Payson watched Sasha's entire body tense. Payson hadn't dealt with Ellen since London 2012, but Sasha had and their relationship was as antagonistic as ever.

"Can I help you?" Sasha hissed, glaring at Ellen.

"Good morning, Sasha. Payson, what a pleasure," Ellen said sweetly. Payson grit her teeth and smiled back tightly.

"Ellen." She glanced over at the newcomer, a man who couldn't be much older than her and was built like a gymnast. He reminded her a little of Nicky; short, well built, with dark features and a bit of a tortured look in his eyes. Ellen followed her line of sight and smiled.

"This is my colleague, Adam. He's recently joined us at the NGO after four very successful years at the University of Michigan," Ellen explained. Adam reached forward to shake Payson's hand, and then Sasha's.

"I don't mean to be rude," Payson started before Sasha could actually be rude. "But the gymnasts will be here soon, so is there something we could help you with?"

"We're here to talk to Sasha about the Trials, and the selection of the coaching staff."

"I already have my coaching staff," Sasha said shortly. Ellen smiled and nodded.

"Yes, well. You've chosen three assistants. We'll give you two of them, but Adam will be the third. The NGO believes that you need someone objective on your coaching staff," Ellen said. Sasha snorted.

"You don't believe that myself, Payson, Austin, and Kelly can be objective?" Sasha bit out. Ellen shook her head.

"You all have gymnasts competing to be on the team, they will clearly have an advantage over the other gymnasts." Sasha turned his glare on Adam and the younger man shrank back.

"Shove off," Sasha spat. "I choose my coaching staff. You already have two NGO members on the selection committee, that keeps it plenty objective."

"Coach Belov, we aren't asking," Ellen said evenly. Payson reached forward and laid a hand on Sasha's arm, silently telling him to back off. Ellen's eyes narrowed.

"Payson, how's your husband?" Ellen asked. Sasha snorted, clearly Beals hadn't been paying attention to the press.

"Jeffrey and I are divorced," Payson said. Sasha opened his mouth to tell Beals that they were engaged, or at least together, but Payson stopped him by digging her nails into his forearm. If Beals figured it out, good for her, but Payson would rather not announce it to her.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not," Payson countered.

"Well, Adam will be here observing until the Trials. I'll expect the changes to your coaching staff by the end of the week," Ellen said to Sasha. He grunted. The sound of teenagers filled the gym and Payson said a silent thank you to whatever higher power there might be. Now they could usher Ellen out without being unduly rude.

"The gymnasts are here, so if you'll excuse us," Payson said, heading towards the door and pulling Sasha with her. Ellen nodded and left the gym, leaving Adam behind.

"Gather round!" Sasha called sharply. The gymnasts jogged over quickly, eyes darting over to Adam as they waited for an explanation. "This is Adam, he will be observing Payson and I in preparation for the Olympic Trials. Ignore him. Now some of you may have noticed Annabelle's absence this morning. She has been suspended for the remainder of this week, as well as next, for drinking at a party."

A gasp went through the crowd, no one actually expected Sasha to suspend an athlete so close to the Trials, especially their best. Sasha held up a hand and the group fell silent.

"The rules are not to be broken. I don't care how good you are or how close to the Trials we get, if I find out you've broken one of my rules, you will face the same consequences. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Sasha!"

"And I thought my college coach was a tyrant," Adam whispered in Payson's ear. She jerked away from him, glaring.

"You don't know anything about him," Payson hissed. Then she turned and made her way onto the floor. They had work to do.

#

"I called the NGO at lunch," Sasha said as leaned in their bedroom doorway, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Oh?" Payson asked, a little awestruck by the sight of his bare chest. She never could get enough of the look of him. He laughed, a husky sound, and nodded.

"Yes. It looks like Ellen is correct, one of the spaces on my coaching staff has been filled by Adam and there's not a bloody thing I can do about it," Sasha said bitterly. Payson watched from the bed as he toed off his shoes and socks before stalking towards her, his pants still riding low on his hips.

"So who gets the other two?" Payson asked. Sasha placed a knee on the edge of the bed, crawling up the mattress, over her body.

"You, and probably Kelly. The girls will respond better to two women and two men versus three men and one woman," Sasha muttered, pausing above her hips and tracing his tongue across the strip of bare skin that peeked out between the top of her pants and the hem of her shirt. She shuddered.

"I don't like Adam," Payson said, her voice hitching as he nudged her shirt up with his nose and dipped his tongue into her belly button. She reached out, running her fingers through his hair and scratching lightly against his scalp.

"He's Beals' spy, of course you don't," Sasha said, his voice muffled between her breasts. She laughed as the vibrations in his chest tickled her stomach. "Now, no more talk of him."

"Can we talk about Annabelle's training schedule for when she comes back?" Payson managed to gasp as Sasha nibbled her ear. Sasha sighed, his forehead falling onto her should for a moment before he pulled back to look at her.

"Must we talk at all?" He asked. To punctuate his point, he pressed his hips hard into hers, letting her feel exactly what he had in mind. Payson's head fell back against the pillows and she moaned loudly.

"No, no we don't have to talk at all," she murmured, fisting her hand in his hair and pulling his lips to hers.

#

Saturday mornings at The Rock were always quiet, and for the first time in a long time, Payson was looking forward to it. Usually a quiet gym was too eerie for her liking but the week had been so hectic that a silent gym was just exactly what she wanted while she worked on Olympic Trial arrangements. She wanted to get ahead, make sure everything was set so that if the wedding preparations got too crazy she wasn't scrambling.

Of course, she knew that it was too much to ask. Not an hour after she got there, Lauren charged in with a sketch pad, a tape measure, and a thick scrapbook bulging with fabric samples.

"Lauren," Payson groaned. "I thought we said next week?"

"You said next week," Lauren agreed, setting her scrapbook down on the desk with a heavy thunk. "But I need more time that that, I need the weekend to work on it. So let's talk about what you want."

"I don't know…"

"Well you first wedding dress was very…virginal. I think this time we should go sexy," Lauren suggested, wiggling her eyebrows. Payson squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the tips of her fingers against them.

"Lauren, no, I want something simple."

"Sexy can be simple," Lauren assured her. Payson was about to respond when someone else called her name. She knew in that moment that her day had completely gone to hell and she would be getting nothing, absolutely nothing, done.

"Payson, have no fear, you're wedding planner…oh." Kaylie's brilliant smile died the instant she realized that her former best frenemy was sitting in Payson's office.

"Kaylie, what are you doing here?" Payson asked, getting quickly out of her seat and moving to hug Kaylie. The tiny brunette returned the embrace, but Payson could feel her distraction in the way she held back a little, keeping one eye on Lauren instead of greeting Payson fully.

"I uh, I thought with being so busy here you could use some help with the wedding planning. But if you've already…"

"No!" Payson cried, grabbing Kaylie's wrist as she started to back out of the office. "I'm so glad you're here, I really could use the help. You were right, eight weeks isn't very long to plan a wedding."

It was a half lie. Payson was truly glad to see her friend, she missed having the girls within driving distance, but she still thought that Kaylie was blowing how much work her wedding would take way out of proportion.

"Hey, Kaylie," Lauren said quietly from her seat. Kaylie looked to Payson.

"So what's she doing here?"

"Lauren is designing my dress. We were just talking about what it would look like. Lauren thinks it should be sexy, please tell her…"

"Actually," Kaylie interrupted, studying Lauren closely. "I was sort of thinking the same thing. Classy, but more grown up than your first one." Payson looked towards the ceiling and hoped she had enough of the famous gymnast self-control left in her to let her friends live.

"Seriously, guys, I don't want sexy," she insisted.

"Payson, will you just trust me, for once?" Lauren huffed. Kaylie and Payson both stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"Trust you?" Payson asked. Lauren rolled her eyes.

"I know that when we were kids I didn't give you any reason too, but I do this for a living Payson. Just let me take a few measurements and then create a few sketches over the weekend, please?" Lauren begged.

"Yeah, Payson, come on. You can always say no," Kaylie promised. Payson stood there, caught between her two friends, and sighed.

"Fine. But I get veto power," she demanded quickly. Kaylie and Lauren shared a smile that wasn't entirely innocent.

"Of course," Lauren agreed. She stared out the office window to the floor below, nostalgia flashing across her features. "You know, the last time I was on the beam was London."

"I bet you couldn't do it anymore," Kaylie teased, but Payson was surprised to find no malice in her tone. Lauren snorted.

"You're on." She and Kaylie hurried towards the floor, laughing like they were sixteen again. "Pay, you coming?"

"In a minute, and then I'll wipe the floor with both of you, just like in London!" Payson called, unable to keep a tiny smile off her face.

She reached for the phone, dialing the number by heart.

"Help me," she hissed as soon as the ringing stopped.

"Pay? Help you with what?" Kelly asked. Payson could hear the sounds of a live gym in the background.

"Lauren and Kaylie have joined forces to plan my wedding. My wedding. I don't care what you have to tell Austin you get on a plane right now," Payson demanded, a little hysterical.

"I'll be there in the morning. Promise."

And then Payson hung up the phone and went to join her former teammates.

#

The first thing Sasha noticed when he walked in the Rock's main doors on Saturday morning was the sound of the springboard, followed shortly by the sound of feet hitting the beam and mats and it made him frown. Though it was almost ten a.m., even the elite gymnasts weren't expected until noon on Saturdays and the only one who would have come in early was Annabelle. But she was suspended. He quickened his pace to see what was going on.

As soon as he stepped onto the floor he felt like he'd been thrown eight years back in time. Kaylie, Lauren, and Payson were laughing as they worked through simply beam, bar, and floor routines looking almost as good as they had when they were in London. Granted, the skills weren't the same, but the performance was there; there were some things a gymnast could never forget.

"Hey Sasha," Kaylie said when she spotted him, like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to find her tumbling across the floor.

"Ladies. Training hard for Johannesburg I see," he teased. Payson did a simple dismount off the bars and saluted him, adding a wink and a laugh.

"I decided that my two medals from London aren't enough. I need at least one more," Lauren said, jumping into the splits before landing lightly back on the beam. Sasha laughed and made his way up to the office.

His desk was covered in wedding stuff. There was a thick book with scraps of material sticking out every which way, Lauren's he presumed, and a binder full of papers that had "Payson and Sasha's wedding" scrawled across it in Kaylie's girly handwriting. He smiled. It was happening, he was marrying Payson. Some days it was easy to forget that they had a wedding coming up, but then he was reminded by scenes like that one.

He turned to the window, watching Payson jump cat-like onto the beam and say something to Lauren that made everyone laugh. She was so perfect, so beautiful, and he had absolutely no idea how he'd gotten quite so lucky.

**A/N: Thank you so much to Egyptian Kiss, Hope Flies, and JTellersOldLady for your reviews! You guys are really the best. **

**We're getting down to the wire! There are really only a handful of chapters left (for now, that could change, lol). So, if there's anything in particular you guys would like to see happen, let me know! And PLEASE, please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks a million!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22: Spaghetti**

"_We're drawing up a plan for world domination."_

"If Ellen Beals thinks that she can run this show," Kelly hissed. Payson glanced quickly at the door. For two weeks Adam had been lurking around every corner and Payson was terrified that if he heard the things Kelly was saying, he would run off to Beals and get Kelly fired.

"Careful," Payson warned. Kelly rolled her eyes.

"If that little lap dog wants to run off and tell Beals what I think of her, let him. Hell, call her and I'll tell her myself," Kelly said dismissively. Payson sighed.

"Look, Ellen Beals has a reason for putting Adam here to "observe" and until we find out what it is I don't want you, or Sasha, saying anything she could use against you," Payson said. Kelly was about to speak when Adam appeared in the doorway.

"Speak of the devil," Kelly muttered. Payson shot her a warning glare.

"What's up, Adam?" Payson asked. Adam looked over his should, toward the floor, uncomfortably.

"There's some little kid on the floor. Really little." Payson frowned as Kelly leaned around him to see what was going on.

"It's Harper. Your mom is down there too," Kelly said with a smile. Payson pushed herself out of her chair and swept past all of them.

"That's my daughter, Harper," Payson said by way of explanation. Adam swallowed roughly and nodded.

"Oh." Payson and Kelly made their way down the stairs to greet Kim and Harper, and for some reason Adam decided he should follow them.

"Hey Mom," Payson said, hugging Kim tightly.

"Hi sweetie. I know you don't usually pick her up for another couple of hours, but Becca's car broke down so your father and I need to go pick her up," Kim explained. Payson shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," Payson said.

"Harper, want to go play on the beam?" Kelly asked, swinging the little girl up into her arms.

"Yes! Yes!" Harper shrieked. Kelly laughed and looked to Payson for permission.

"Just be careful," she reminded them. Adam cleared his throat loudly and Payson rolled her eyes. He was like a gnat in her ears, buzzing around, never letting her forget his presence. "Mom, this is Adam. He's going to be coaching the Olympic Team with Sasha, Kelly, and me," Payson said through her teeth. Kim frowned, glancing back and forth between them.

"What happened to Austin?" Kim asked, her eyes narrowed at Adam.

"I'll tell you later," Payson promised. Kim snorted, knowing exactly what Payson wasn't saying; Adam was not there by Sasha's invitation. "Give Becca a hug for me."

"Will do sweetie. Love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

"I didn't realize you're a mom," Adam said from behind Payson as she watched Kelly and Harper at the beam. Kelly was help her learn cartwheels and Harper's face was lit with joy; somehow Payson suspected her daughter would be competing in 2032 whether she liked it or not.

"For four years now," Payson said, her eyes landing on the gymnast working her beam routine. "Commit, Julie!"

"You're a good coach," Adam said, closer than he had been just a moment before. Payson felt a shudder run down her spine and took a step away.

At the same time, Sasha walked through the main doors, back from running a few errands. Harper shrieked and insisted that Kelly help her down from the beam before she flung herself at him.

"Daddy!" Sasha swung Harper into his arms, planting a kiss on her cheek and tickling her. Payson smiled, until she heard Adam suck in a breath.

"So it's true?" he hissed. Payson rounded on him, her eyes narrowed at the accusation.

"Is what true?" Payson growled. Adam's eyes ticked to where Sasha was carrying Harper up to the office and it was clear, Adam believed that Harper was Sasha's biological daughter, and that the rumors back when Payson had been a gymnast were true.

"You and Sasha…"

"Shut up," Payson snapped, invading his personal space and shoving her finger into his chest. "Harper is my daughter from my first marriage. In two weeks, she will be Sasha's step-daughter. You think you know something about us, about this gym? You don't know anything."

"I'm just saying what it looks like," Adam said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"To you, what it looks like to you. But it's none of your business is it? Excuse me."

Payson shoved past him and ran up the stairs to join her family in the office, Kelly following closely on her heels. Harper was smooshed into a corner of the couch coloring while Sasha was on the phone. By the sound of it, he was on the phone with GK discussing a few minor changes to the design of Team USAs leos. He smiled and winked at Payson.

Without waiting for him to end the call, Payson pressed herself to him, slipping her arms around his waist and holding tightly. He frowned, but wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and held tightly.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked when he hung up.

Payson debated telling Sasha about what Adam had said. Part of her wanted to, but another part, and bigger part, knew that if she told him Sasha could make a scene and possibly hurt his reputation with the NGO. They all knew Adam was a mole digging for something, and Payson didn't want to give him any ammunition.

"Nothing, I just needed a hug," Payson said. Sasha stared at her like he knew she was lying, but let it go.

Payson met Kelly's eyes across the room and she knew they were thinking the same thing; they needed to get rid of Adam.

#

Spruce Juice hadn't changed much in the eight years since Payson had been a competing gymnast; it still looked exactly the same, and it was still the coolest place in town. So when Lauren and Kaylie insisted on a wedding-planning date, Spruce Juice was where they went.

"When do I get to see my dress?" Payson asked the second Lauren and Kaylie sat down. They'd had a long "concept meeting," as Lauren had called it, about the type of dress Payson wanted and then Lauren had taken more measurements than were probably necessary. But since then, Payson hadn't seen anything Lauren was working on.

"Um, when you put it on," Lauren snorted, like it was something Payson should have known.

"What if there are last minute adjustments? What if I don't like it?" Payson asked, verging on a shriek. Her heart hammered in her chest; Lauren was going to single handedly ruin her wedding.

"You'll love it, I promise," Lauren insisted. Kaylie nodded fiercely in agreement.

"I have to say Payson, you're going to. It's very you," Kaylie promised. Payson looked at Kelly with a raised eyebrow, daring her to agree. Kelly just shrugged, unwilling to get into the argument.

"On to other business," Kaylie said before Payson could really start an argument about the dress. Payson sighed and leaned back in her chair, waving for Kaylie to keep talking. "We've got Le Privilege for the rehearsal dinner, just like we talked about. If you're going to force us to plan a wedding in your back yard we at least get to glam it up for the rehearsal dinner."

"It's not in _my_ backyard," Payson said defensively. Kaylie and Lauren rolled their eyes.

"Your backyard, your parents' backyard, whatever," Lauren scoffed.

"I'm letting you guys host the reception in Kaylie's backyard," Payson groused. When Payson had suggested having the entire wedding, ceremony and reception, in the Keeler's backyard, Kaylie had nearly lost her mind. Apparently backyard wedding weren't fancy enough, but Payson thought it was perfect for her and Sasha.

"Okay enough, listen we only have two weeks until the big day and we still need to pick out the bouquets. We need to do that today."

"Well the florist is like two blocks from here, let's just go now," Kelly suggested.

"Exactly," Lauren said. "Come on."

"Emily isn't here to give her input. She isn't flying in until next week," Payson reminded them. Lauren, Kaylie, and Kelly groaned in frustration.

"Emily will trust our judgment," Kelly promised. Payson glared.

"Traitor," Payson muttered.

"Come on, Pay, we'll let you pick them," Kaylie assured in her therapist voice, one that became more and more pronounced every time she came back from NYU. Payson narrowed her eyes at her, not completely trusting that Lauren was even capable of letting Payson actually make the decision, but followed them to the florist shop anyway.

The overwhelming sweetness of the shop nearly made Payson gag, she'd never gotten over her dislike of intensely sweet smells, like vanilla, though Jeffrey had always asked her to try. He loved the smell of roses and sugar. Sasha loved the spicy citrus perfume she wore.

Swallowing past the urge to throw up, Payson followed her friends into the shop.

"Afternoon! Can I help you ladies?" A tiny old woman appeared from the back room as Payson, Lauren, Kaylie, and Kelly approached the counter. Payson noticed her hands were gnarled with arthritis and wondered how she could possibly work anymore. She must have had help.

"My friend Payson here is getting married in two weeks and we need to pick out some bouquets for her and for the bridesmaids, us," Lauren explained. The old woman nodded.

"Two weeks? That is not much time for flowers," she warned. Lauren gave her that same smile she'd always used when she was planning to get exactly what she wanted, no matter what.

"I'm sure you'll find a way to make it happen. Payson and her fiancé are pretty famous, as am I, and if you pull this off we will tell the whole world that Emilene's Flower Shop is the best florist in Boulder." Payson rolled her eyes, she did that a lot when Lauren was around, but it seemed to have the desired effect. The old woman pulled out a thick binder full of samples.

"Well then I suppose we'd best get started," she said with a smile.

#

"Payson, I need you!" Annabelle shouted from the beam, in the middle of an aerial cartwheel. She landed solidly on the four inches, flicking her hands with flair and tossing the imaginary judges a smile.

"For what, Annabelle?" Payson asked, jogging across the floor. Annabelle had been back for a couple of days and she was going at her training like gangbusters, coming in early and staying late trying to make up for the time she'd lost.

"I'm ready to try my new dismount without the pit to catch me, but I think I need the harness," Annabelle said. Payson nodded.

"Yes you do, I'll go get it. Work through the routine one more time and focus on the little things; extensions, expressions, etc," Payson reminded her. Annabelle gave her a salute and hopped off the beam to start again from the beginning.

"Annabelle," Adam said as soon as Payson was out of sight. "Can I talk with you for a second?"

Annabelle narrowed her eyes at the NGO guy who'd been skulking around the Rock. There was something slimy about him, about the way he was always just…there, and she didn't like him one bit. The farther he stayed away from her, the better.

"If you can do it while I work. We only have six weeks until Trials, I'm not about to take even one second away from training if I don't have to," Annabelle told him.

"You were suspended last week, what for?" Adam asked. Annabelle faltered, landing her switch leap with shaky legs.

"I did something I shouldn't have. It was a one-time mistake, won't happen again," Annabelle said firmly. Adam studied her for a moment, obviously wondering if he should push for the specific reason or just let it go. He dropped it.

"Payson and Sasha, they good coaches?" Adam asked.

"The best," Annabelle replied. She launched herself into an acrobatics series that took her the length of the beam. "I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for those two crazy kids. Plus, they're awesome pseudo-parents."

"Pseudo-parents?" Adam pressed.

"Yeah," Annabelle said, jumping down to the mats. "I'm really close with their family and they've done a lot for me. I love them like crazy." Adam nodded and backed away as Payson reappeared with the harness.

"Thank you for your time, Annabelle." Payson frowned as he walked to the other end of the gym.

"What was that about?" Payson asked. Annabelle shrugged, stepping into the harness and letting Payson tighten it for her.

"Nothing really. He wanted to know why I got suspended but I wouldn't tell him," Annabelle assured her.

"Good. Don't, okay? We have no idea what he's up to."

"Yes ma'am!" Annabelle chirped. She let Payson hook her into the cables and then hauled herself onto the beam.

"Okay, Belle, let's see it."

#

"What do you think?" Sasha asked Kelly as they stood together in the office, watching the floor. They wore identical scowls, their arms crossed over their chests.

"I think we've never been able to trust Beals before, why start now?" Kelly said darkly. Sasha nodded.

"What can we do about it? He hasn't done anything, as of yet, to warrant me kicking him out on his arse," Sasha reminded her. The worst Adam had done was annoy all of them, at least that they had proof of.

"Didn't you seem him interrogating Annabelle earlier? He's digging, looking for a single chink in our armor, a way he can tears us all apart," Kelly said. Sasha's frown lines deepened.

"How do you know?"

"How easily you forget. Before Payson and I got all buddy-buddy, I was evil, remember? I did what Adam is doing to every team I came up against, and I did it better," Kelly said, a hint of pride in her voice. Sasha snorted out a laugh.

"Ah yes, the devil horn days," he teased. She reached out and elbows him gently.

"No mocking," she chastised.

"Of course, of course. So how do we get him to stop digging?" Sasha asked. For a moment they were both silent, until Kelly took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

"We start. There has to be something on this guy, right? And if we can find it, we can use it to distract him from whatever mission Beals has him on."

"How do you want to do it?" He asked.

"You, get Googling. I'll come up with a way to distract him until we have something," Kelly said. Sasha smiled coldly.

"Let's go to work."

**A/N: Thanks a million to explamation points forever, JTellersOldLady, Egyptian Kiss, SunStar123, Kiwiflea, JCI, 4321-G-R-A-C-I-E-1234, poppetrussell, LauraW89, Barrel of Monkeys, and lakessler for your amazing reviews! **

**Now, are you all ready for a super long author's note? Good, buckle up. First, I know this chapter is short, and I'm sorry for that. Sometimes that's just how the cards fall. Second, the title and "lyrics" that go with this chapter are not my usual format. The song that conveyed the mood I wanted is instrumental and is indeed called "Spaghetti" and it's from a television show (bonus points if you can tell me which one). Since it has no actual lyrics, I pulled a fitting quote from the episode it was featured in. Hope that makes sense. Also, double bonus points if you got the reference at the very end of this chapter. **

**One FINAL bit; I have started writing a new MIOBI fic. I have the first chapter and not much else, and I probably won't have the second chapter done for a little while. That said, would you all like me to post the first chapter now (or soon)? Let me know if you do and I'll post it sometime this week. **

**REVIEW!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23: On Your Wedding Day**

"_On your wedding day / may your hearts be filled with joy / you've been waiting for so long / and now the time has come / may you both keep the faith / on your wedding day."_

Payson was buried in paperwork. Stacks of it covered the desk; physical reports for all the girls competing at the Trials, travel arrangements to the Karolyi Ranch for coaches, advisors, and athletes, and various other things that she couldn't attend to until after the Trials. Her brain hurt, and all she wanted was to go home to Harper and Sasha, and have a glass of wine. Maybe even a bath. She sighed, imagining the hot water swirling around her as Sasha's fingers dug into the knots in her shoulders.

"Burning the midnight oil, huh?" Payson groaned and looked up to find Adam leaning in the doorway. She started shutting down the computer and organizing the papers she was already finished with, hoping he would get the picture and leave her alone.

"Not for much longer," she said tightly. "Sasha should be here in a few minutes to take me home."

"Funny how that happened, huh?" Adam asked, taking a step farther into the office. Payson frowned at him.

"How what happened?"

"You and Sasha, after all these years, getting married. You had a husband and a kid and then you came back here and…bam, it happened," Adam said with a shrug. He ran a finger over the edge of the bookshelf, slowly making his way closer to Payson.

"It wasn't quite that easy," Payson said shortly. Adam made a humming sound.

"So rumor is that you and Sasha got together before you were divorced; couldn't stay away from an old flame?" Payson nearly growled. For a week Adam had not stopped insinuating that she and Sasha truly had been something when she was still his athlete.

"I don't know why I have to keep telling you this, but Sasha and I were never together when I was a gymnast."

"So you're just a cheater?" Adam asked bluntly. Payson's head snapped up so that she could look Adam in the eye. She was scandalized, but he looked almost bored.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, clenching her fists.

"You and Sasha got together before your divorce was final, technically you were having an affair. That's cool, I like that. There's a sense of…danger," Adam said, closing the distance between them.

Payson was too shocked to do anything more than watch as Adam reached out and ran his hand over her hip, around to her backside, pulling her flush against him. She still hadn't processed exactly what was happening as his face inched closer to hers. She didn't come back to herself until she felt his lips on hers; chapped and too pliant.

Payson tore her mouth away from his and tried to squirm out of his arms but he held tight, the arm muscles he'd developed over a lifetime of competitive gymnasts holding her like a vice.

"Adam, let go," Payson said firmly, digging her blunt nails into his arms and praying that she could cause him some amount of pain.

"Oh come on," Adam said. "Sasha doesn't have to know." Adam leaned in to try kissing her against when something tore him away from her and tossed him against the wall.

"Sasha!" Payson cried. His arm was pressed into Adam's neck and his other fist was poised to strike. Payson ran forward, grabbing his cocked fist with both hands, hoping she was strong enough to hold him back.

"Sasha doesn't need to know what?" he hissed at Adam. The younger man shrugged.

"That you're marrying a whore."

Payson felt Sasha's arm tense as it started forward, intent on doing damage to Adam, and she dug her heels into the floor and leaned back.

"Sasha, stop!" She shouted. She felt him pause for just a moment. It was enough. "It's what he and Ellen want. Think about it." She felt him relax and a moment later he dropped his fist, though he still held Adam to the wall.

"I want you to stay far away from my wife," Sasha growled. Payson's heart skipped a beat at the title. "If you're close enough to touch her, you're too close. Got it?"

Adam held Sasha's glare for a long moment, and she thought he might try to goad Sasha back into a fight, but finally he nodded tersely. Sasha dropped his arm from Adam's chest and backed away.

"Good. Get out."

Together, she and Sasha watched as Adam left the gym, his head held high. Of course he would find no fault in his actions, he was just like Beals in that way. Once they heard the front doors slam, it was like the tension instantly drained from the room; Sasha and Payson slumped against each other, breathing for what felt like the first time.

"Thank you," Sasha whispered, pulling her into a hug. She buried her face in his chest, breathing him in, trying to drive the taste and feel of Adam from her memory. She pulled back just enough to look up into his eyes.

"I love you." He smiled down at her, his eyes sparkling.

"I love you too."

#

"Momma's home!" Kelly said with a gasp when she heard the garage door opening. Harper looked up from her place next to Kelly, her eyes dancing as she clutched her elephant figure tightly in her hand. She paused only a moment before tossing the figure across the room and running to the door.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Harper shrieked, jumping up and down, waiting for Payson and Sasha to come in. Kelly couldn't help but smile. When the door started to open, Harper crouched low and pawed at the ground with her foot like a bull getting ready to charge. As soon as Payson and Sasha were clear of the door, Harper launched herself at them and Kelly dissolved into laughter.

It took Kelly a few minutes to be able to breathe again, and only then did she notice the tightness in Sasha's jaw, the tiredness in Payson's face. They both looked like the day had put them through the wringer.

"Hey baby," Payson said with a tired smile, lifting Harper into her arms. Harper hugged Payson tightly, burying her face in Payson's neck. Sasha ruffled her hair as he slipped past them and into the kitchen. Kelly levered herself off the floor and moved towards Payson.

"You okay?" Kelly asked. Payson sighed, pressing her nose to Harper's hair and breathing in deeply.

"I'll tell you about it later," Payson sighed. "But we need to get rid of Adam, pronto." Sasha reappeared with a cup of tea, trading Payson the cup for Harper.

"Want to help me cook dinner puiule?" Sasha asked. Harper nodded happily.

"Yes, yes!" Sasha carried her into the kitchen, leaving Payson and Kelly alone. Kelly reached out to grab Payson's wrist, dragging her to the couch.

"What happened?" Kelly pressed. Payson scrubbed her hands over her face and slumped back against the cushions with a groan.

"Adam…I don't even know what to call it. He came on to me I guess," Payson sighed.

"Came on to you, how?" Kelly asked incredulously.

"He just got a little hands-y and kissed me."

"What?" Kelly shrieked. "What kind of hands-y?"

"He grabbed my ass and tried to shove his tongue down my throat," Payson said. Kelly jumped to her feet, her face going red.

"That's assault, Payson! I'm going to kill the bastard," Kelly growled. Payson grabbed her arm and yanked her back down.

"Relax Kel, Sasha took care of it," Payson said, grimacing at the way it made her sound like some damsel-in-distress.

"He gave him two black eyes?" Kelly asked gleefully. Payson shook her head and snorted out a laugh.

"He would have, but don't you think that's exactly what Adam and Beals wanted? Beals will take any excuse she can to get control of the National Team and Sasha beating the crap out of another coach would certainly work to her advantage. Adam is just trying to stir up trouble, and we aren't going to let him," Payson said forcefully.

"I hate that guy," Kelly muttered. Payson sighed, shaking her head.

"Me too."

#

"I have a plan," Kelly said as she, Kaylie, and Emily browsed the Tiffany store. They'd made a special trip to Denver's Cherry Creek Mall, one of the ritziest around, just to shop for Payson and Sasha's wedding presents.

"What kind of plan?" Kaylie asked, leaning down to look at a gorgeous pearl necklace in the display case.

"Are you sure we want to know?" Emily asked, drawing a giggle from Kaylie and a playful glare from Kelly. Emily and Damon had flown in from L.A. just two days before so that she could be part of all the pre-wedding festivities and Kelly would never admit it, but having the four of them back together again felt like coming home.

"Shut up Kmetko," Kelly said. "Adam is stirring up trouble…"

"Wait, who's Adam?" Emily asked.

"Oh God, I forgot we hadn't told you yet. Okay, basically he's Beals' mole; he's trying to rip the staff apart or give the NGO a reason to fire Sasha," Kelly explained.

"Hasn't Beals gotten over all that by now? I truly don't understand what her problem is," Emily said. She tapped lightly on the glass display. "What about those for Sasha?"

The three of them leaned over the display case, staring at the pair of cufflinks Emily had pointed out. They were unlike anything the girls had ever seen, silver and concrete, but very Sasha.

"I love those," Kaylie said.

"Me too. Great, now we just need something for Payson," Kelly said. "Anyway, my plan. We need to distract Adam, right? Keep him from causing any more trouble. Well Lauren just happens to be unattached at the moment, right?"

"And?" Emily asked carefully.

"And, isn't it obvious? We kill two birds with one stone; get Lauren out of our hair, and get Adam out of the gym. Set them up on a little date. They're both devious enough to keep each other occupied, at least long enough to get us to Johannesburg," Kelly explained.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kaylie asked, peeking into the display case of engagement rings, just to dream for a moment.

"Kaylie, for serious? I'm the master plotter in this group, my plans never fail. Just go with it," Kelly said. "Ooh, what about this for Payson?" Kelly pointed out a breathtaking pearl bracelet; three strands of pearls were connected by an open silver heart toggle clasp. It was obviously a little more jewelry than Payson would normally wear, but Kelly also knew that the bracelet would go perfectly with almost all of Payson's special occasion outfits.

"It's gorgeous," Emily breathed.

"It can be her something new!" Kaylie cried, clapping her hands together.

"Perfect. Now let's go so I can put my awesome plan in motion."

#

"You really think that's going to work?" Payson asked. She turned her head from side to side, examining the job Kelly had done on her hair. It was pulled back into a bun, much like the one she'd always worn in competition but looser, with softly curled strands falling around her face.

"Of course it's going to work. It's my plan! Why is everyone doubting my scheming abilities all of a sudden?" Kelly huffed. Payson laughed and straightened the neckline of her forest green dress. The pleated, form fitting, single-shouldered piece made her feel like she should be walking the red carpet, not going out for her bachelorette party but Kelly had insisted that they all "glam-out" for the night.

Kelly herself was in a black mini dress, covered by a white blazer. She wore dangly earrings that Payson would never have even considered and a heavy statement ring that looked like it could double as a weapon. She looked dangerously gorgeous, as she always did.

"I am not doubting your scheming abilities," Payson promised. "I'm…concerned about Lauren being part of any plan."

"Look, we all have our issues with Lauren and I'm not saying we should be best friends with her, but…she is strangely defensive of you and Sasha now. If we tell her, she'll throw herself at the plan like she threw herself at Carter Anderson," Kelly said. Payson snorted.

"She is enthusiastic."

The doorbell rang and Payson started down the stairs to answer it, wobbling a little in her nude colored heels.

Kaylie, Emily, and Lauren stood on the threshold, all decked out in their very best. Kaylie looked stunning in a gold sequined dress that made her tan skin glow and sky high black heels, Emily was radiant in a loosely draped aqua blue dress, and of course Lauren looked fantastic in an original grey strapless number.

"Let's party!" Lauren shrieked happily.

"But our ride isn't here yet," Kelly said with a devious smile. Payson whipped around to stare at her maid of honor in horror.

"What did you do?" Payson asked.

"I promised you a bachelorette party that would blow your first one out of the water. Well, get ready for a spectacular night," Kelly said.

"That didn't answer my question, Kelly Parker," Payson hissed. Kelly just smiled and batted her eyelashes. Payson didn't get a chance to ask her question again, because a moment later a monstrous Hummer limousine pulled up in front of Payson's house and tapped the horn twice. Kelly grabbed Payson by the hand and pulled her toward the limo.

"Payson Keeler, you're having fun tonight, no matter what," Kelly insisted.

Together, the girls all piled into the limo. Chilled Champaign was waiting for them and a special Kelly Parker playlist blared through the speakers. As they settled in, Kelly poured everyone a glass of the bubbling, gold liquid and raised a toast.

"To life, to love, and to her last night as Payson Keeler."

"Here, here!"

#

There was a stillness in the air the next morning, Payson's wedding day, one that mirrored the stillness in her soul. Unlike when she married Jeffrey, Payson was completely calm, peaceful, and happy. Six months before, Payson looked upon the day with terror, fear that her mistakes were doomed to repeat themselves again and again, but Sasha had driven those fears away. He was her rock, her anchor.

The stillness was broken when Harper and Kelly barge into Payson's childhood bedroom, jumping onto the bed and bouncing until Payson's entire body was being lifted into the air. She laughed, surging up to grab Harper and tickle her mercilessly.

"Mommy!" Harper shrieked in protest. Kelly fell to her knees and joined in the torture.

"Come on PK," Kelly said after a few minutes. "Time to get ready."

"You promise I'm going to like the dress?" Payson asked, slipping on her robe and following Kelly into the kitchen where Kim and Mark are making a breakfast feast of epic proportions.

"Morning, sweetie!" Kim said happily. Payson felt like she was sixteen again as she pulled herself onto one of the stools at the breakfast counter. Kelly and Harper followed suit, waiting for eggs and hashbrowns and pancakes to be ready.

"I'm not going to fit into my dress!" Payson teased. Kim pressed a kiss to her head as she set the plate down in front of her.

"Sure you will sweetie, besides you need all the energy you can get today," Kim reminded her. Payson nodded. Even the most low-key weddings were exhausting.

"Is everything set up?" Payson asked.

"The team left twenty minutes ago to start working at Kaylie's," Mark said. It was the one decision Kaylie and Lauren had made that Payson was grateful for; hiring a team to set up and tear down both her "church" in her parent's backyard and the reception site in Kaylie's.

"So Kelly," Kim said. Payson groaned at her tone, knowing the start of an interrogation when she heard it. Kelly, however, had no idea what was coming.

"Yes?" Kelly asked curiously.

"You and Austin have been dancing around this for a while; when are you going to tell him yes?" Kim asked. Kelly's entire body went rigid as she whipped her head around, waiting for Austin to appear.

"He's at the house with Sasha," Payson reminded her. Kelly didn't relax, but she did stop looking around so frantically.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kelly said, suddenly very interested in her coffee. Kim sighed and clucked her tongue

"He's so in love with you, honey," Kim said. "Don't make him wait too long." Kelly was about to argue when the front door slammed open.

"I'm home!" Becca's voice called from the front entry. Harper squealed and jumped down from her stool, running to meet her aunt. Payson got up too, eager to see her sister for the first time in months.

"Hey!" Payson cried, pulling Becca into a tight hug.

"Hey. Sorry I couldn't make it to the party last night, stupid class," Becca grumbled. Payson laughed and smoothed a hand over Becca's hair.

"It's fine." Becca turned her attention back to Harper as they all made their way into the kitchen again. Kelly barely spared Becca a glance as they exchanged a fist bump, the most enthusiastic their greetings ever got.

"Where is everybody?" Beccas asked, stealing a forkful of Payson's hashbrowns.

"Kaylie, Lauren, and Emily should be here in an hour or so to start getting ready," Kim said.

"I still can't believe you're letting them near your hair and make-up," Kelly told Payson. The bride threw her hands into the air.

"Well you weren't helping!" Payson protested. Kelly just laughed.

"Go shower," Kelly said, giving her a little shove. Payson glared, but did as she was told.

#

"Hair and make-up, done," Lauren announced proudly, giving Payson permission to open her eyes. The vision greeting her in the mirror almost takes her breath away. Lauren has styled her hair naturally, perfect beach waves tumbling over her shoulders with a few tiny braids creating a lattice over her scalp. Nestled among the braids is a simple mother-of-pearl comb that her veil will attach to once she's ready to walk down the aisle. Her make-up matches her hair, muted Champaign colors that allowed her eyes to be the focus, and a shiny, pearl pink lipstick.

"You look like an angel," Becca whispered. Payson caught Kelly's eyes in the mirror and for a moment she thought she saw tears there.

"Ready to see the dresses?" Lauren asked cautiously. Payson nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat.

Lauren crossed the room to a row of several thick garment bags that each held a bridesmaid dress. After unzipping each bag, Lauren pulled the dresses out so that they were on full display; Payson had to admit they were gorgeous. In keeping with the outdoor theme, Lauren had chosen a soft, clover green color chiffon fabric. The dresses were strapless with and intricately ruched bust leading into an empire waist and a hem that fell to just about the knee. Her friends would look beautiful.

"They're amazing, Lo," Payson admitted. The knot in her stomach over her wedding dress started to ease; if the bridesmaid dresses were that beautiful, she was sure the wedding dress would be as well.

"And now, the main event," Lauren said with a smile. She gestured to the only unopened garment bag and started to slowly lower the zipper. Kelly and Emily appeared on either side of Payson, holding tightly to her hands and they held their breath.

Payson couldn't help it, the moment she saw the dress she started to cry. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she threw her arms around Lauren, hugging her as tightly as she could. The dress was stunning; a trumpet gown made of beaded lace, with an empire waist.

"Stop it!" Kaylie cried. "You're going to ruin your make-up!" Payson laughed and allowed the girls to help her slip into the dress.

It fit perfectly, ghosting over her curves like a cloud with a deep v-neck and capped sleeves, and an understated train. It was simple, just as Payson had wanted, but also a work or art.

"Lauren, this is a dream. Thank you," Payson whispered as Kim attached her veil. Lauren scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes.

"Well duh!" Her smile softened. "And you're welcome." There was a knock on the door that Becca quickly answered, ducking out of the room to talk to whoever had come calling.

"Okay, we just have a few more things to take care of," Kaylie said. She grabbed Payson's shoes and knelt down in front of her, careful not to kneel on her own dress or Payson's. She took a penny from the vanity table and put it in one of the shoes.

"For luck," she said, helping Payson slip the simple heels onto her feet. Kim appeared next, with beautiful pearl drop earrings.

"Something old and borrowed," Kim said, tears in her eyes. "I wore these the day I married your dad." Payson fastened them quickly, willing herself not to cry.

"Something blue," Emily said, holding out Payson's sky blue garter. Payson giggled and pulled it onto her leg.

"And finally," Kelly said. "Something new." She pulled out the blue Tiffany box and handed it to Payson, who removed the top slowly, almost reverently.

"Oh my God, you guys…this is beautiful," Payson breathed.

"We love you, Payson," Emily said. Crying again, Payson gestured Kaylie, Kelly, and Emily in for a hug.

"Payson?" Becca asked, slipping back into the room. "It's time."

#

The backyard had been transformed. Chinese lanterns were strung over rows and rows of white chairs. At the end of each row of chairs, lining the aisle of white petals, were small bouquets of wild flowers that added a pop of color to the area. At the end of the aisle was an arch covered with honeysuckle vines, another pop of color.

But Payson wasn't looking at the decorations, and she wasn't looking at the guests; Annabelle, Lauren, Steve and Summer, a host of other gymnasts and coaches. She wasn't looking at the groomsmen; Marty, Austin, Damon, and she wasn't watching her bridesmaids precede her.

Her eyes were locked on Sasha, and his on her.

A string quartet hidden somewhere in the yard played Pachelbel's Canon in D as she made her way towards Sasha. Tears slid down her cheeks. The walk seemed to take forever.

Finally she reached him. He lifted his thumb to brush away her tears and smiled, swaying in like he wanted to kiss her and then remembering himself and swaying back.

"You look spectacular, love."

The music ended and the chaplain cleared his throat.

"Welcome, family and friends, to this joyous occasion. We are here to join Sasha and Payson in wedded bliss…"

Payson didn't hear the rest of his words. She watched as Sasha responded appropriately to the vows, the sounds around them a muffled buzzing in her ears. Sasha's hands were sure as he slipped the wedding ring onto her shaking fingers. She tried to listen to the chaplain asking for her vows, and she responded with a heartfelt "I do," laughing through her tears when she fumbled with Sasha's ring.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce you man and wife. Sasha, you may kiss your bride."

Sasha reached one hand to the back of her neck, pulling her face towards him and wrapping his other arm around her waist, bending her slightly backwards as his lips slanted over hers. The crowd exploded in cheers and applause.

"I love you," Sasha whispered against her lips. She smiled, kissing him again.

"I love you."

**A/N: As always, thank you so much to JTellersOldLady, lakessler, LauraW89, JCI, Barrel of Monkeys, Kiwiflea, Egyptian Kiss, Ida-cullen, explamation points forever, and SunStar123 for your reviews! **

**IT'S THE WEDDING! I am so happy to see our favorite couple at this point, it's a little ridiculous. Next chapter we'll see the reception and a whole bunch of other stuff. **

**Also, I've put links up in my profile for Payson's engagement ring, Tiffany bracelet, the bridesmaid's dresses, and of course Payson's wedding dress. Take a look!**

**Let me know what you think!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 24: Butterfly Kisses**

"_She'll change her name today / She'll make a promise and I'll give her away / Standing in the bride-room just staring at her / She asked me what I'm thinking and I said "I'm not sure-I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl." / She leaned over...gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there / Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair / "Walk my down the aisle, Daddy-it's just about time." _

"Lo," Kaylie hissed, grabbing Lauren's elbow and dragging her away from a group of wedding guests. The backyard of the Cruz house had been transformed for the reception; twenty white tables and folding chairs were grouped together beneath a white tent, and a thousand twinkling lights were strung from the rafters, and there was a dance floor between the tent and the house with a DJ booth. Guests milled happily, waiting for Payson and Sasha to make their entrance.

"What? Ow," Lauren protested. Kaylie pushed Lauren into an empty chair. Kelly and Emily looked up from their conversation.

"Hey Lauren," Kelly said sweetly. Lauren narrowed her eyes. She didn't for one second think that Kelly was actually being nice to her, of all the things that had changed since their teenage years, their mutual animosity had not.

"What do you want?" Lauren asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're happy for Sasha and Payson, right?" Kelly asked. Lauren looked between Kaylie and Emily, but neither of them looked too uncomfortable so she figured she was safe to answer the question.

"Of course."

"And you wouldn't want anything to ruin their shiny, new-marriage bliss, right?"

"Kelly, where are you going with this?" Lauren demanded. She wasn't in any kind of mood to play twenty questions. Kelly smiled.

"You know Adam, the new NGO guy that Beals left to hang around the gym? Well he's causing some serious problems," Kelly said, putting special emphasis on problems. Lauren nodded slowly, understanding just what kind of problems Kelly was talking about. The old Lauren, the scheming, back stabbing Lauren stirred inside her.

"So get rid of him," Lauren suggested.

"We plan to. But, we need your help."

Lauren leaned forward, her interest piqued. It had been a very long time since she'd hatched a genius scheme and she was eager to see if she still had what it took.

"What's the plan?"

#

"And now, could we have the bride and her father up here for the father daughter dance?" The DJ asked. The dance floor cleared and Mark led Payson out, giving her a spin before pulling her into his arms. "Butterfly Kisses" played over the speakers as tears clouded Mark's eyes.

"You okay, Daddy?" Payson asked. At twenty four, nearly twenty five, Payson often felt too old to call her father "Daddy," but sometimes the situation called for it, and her wedding day was one of them.

"Of course, honey. I'm so proud of you," Mark whispered against her hair. Payson smiled, laying her head against his chest and listening to the thump, thump of his heart. Mark Keeler was not a man of many words, but he didn't need to be; Payson understood everything he was thinking just by hearing those words.

For a few moments they danced in silence, until Mark pulled back just slightly. "Look," he whispered. Payson lifted her head from his chest and turned her head to see what was going on. Sasha and Harper were dancing just a few feet away from them, Harper standing on the tips of Sasha's shoes as he waltzed around. Payson laughed and Mark hugged her tightly.

"You have a beautiful family, Pay," Mark said.

"So do you, Daddy."

#

"Do you think anyone would blame us if we ducked out the back?" Sasha asked, burying his face in Payson's neck as she sat at one of the tables, talking to the other Rock girls. She laughed, sifting her fingers through his hair and turning her head to kiss him.

"Yes, I do," she said. Sasha grumbled something unintelligible and threw himself into the chair next to her.

"Fine."

"It's almost time to throw the bouquet, the reception won't last much past that," Payson promised. Kelly narrowed her eyes shrewdly.

"Trying to steal her away, Sasha?" Kelly asked with a quick wink.

"Never," he promised.

"Liar," Emily snorted. Sasha gave them an over-exaggerated sigh. Damon, Austin, and Marty appeared, taking the only empty seats left at the table.

"So Austin," Payson started as her friend slung an arm around Kelly's shoulders.

"Yes, Mrs. Belov?" Austin teased gently. Payson smiled, already as in love with her new last name as she was with her new husband.

"Sasha's made a honest woman out of me, when are you going to make an honest woman out of KP?" She waited for Kelly's glare, or some outburst of protest, but neither came. Kelly just kept on inspecting her fingernails as though the whole conversation bored her. Austin gave her shoulders a squeeze and laughed.

"Whenever she'll let me," he said. It was no secret that Austin had proposed to Kelly more than once, and that she had turned him down every time. It had almost become a running joke for the group, and they all waited for Kelly's usually flippant dismissal.

"Ok then, pick a date," Kelly said breezily. The entire table froze as Austin's jaw fell open.

"Really?" he asked. Kelly shrugged.

"Sure. Pick a date and I'll marry you." Payson couldn't help it, she started to laugh. Leave it to Kelly to refuse every actual proposal and then finally say yes when Austin least expected it. Soon, the entire group was laughing with her. There were no tears, no dramatic embraces between Kelly and Austin; it was possibly the most anti-climactic proposal any of them had ever seen. But it was done.

"Oh Lauren," Payson called playfully. Kelly straightened, her back rigid as she glared at Payson.

"No! We will not be having any of this," Kelly said, waving her hands at the party. "You and Sasha can come with us to the courthouse and watch us sign some papers but that is it."

"Hey! What about us?" Emily protested, gesturing between herself and Kaylie.

"If they get to be there, we get to be there," Kaylie insisted. Kelly groaned.

"There's no way I'm getting a small courthouse wedding, am I?" she whined. Austin laughed.

"Once my sister finds out about this? No way."

#

"How're you feeling, Mrs. Belov?" Sasha asked, leaning in the bedroom doorway, his hands slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Payson, still in her wedding dress, turned to face him.

"Mmm, fantastic, Mr. Belov," she said. Shucking his shirt, Sasha started across the room, pulling Payson into his arms and pressing his lips firmly to hers. He lifted her into his arms and started towards the bed but she laughed and pulled away.

"Wait, wait! My dress," she reminded him. He considered it for a moment and realized she was right; he would never get that dress off once he laid her on the bed. Leaning in to kiss her again, he slowly started flicking open the buttons that ran the length of her spine.

As soon as enough of the buttons were undone to allow it, Payson slipped the top of the dress down her shoulders to let it pool at the floor. Stepping back to take in the full picture, Sasha groaned and nearly fell to his knees in worship of his bride. Beneath her dress she wore a white lace corset and matching bikini underwear, both contrasting perfectly with her golden skin.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, he picked her up and tossed her into the middle of their giant bed before following.

"I love you," Payson gasped as he nuzzled her collarbone, his hand smoothing its way up her thigh. "I can't believe I'm your wife." Sasha pressed his pelvis into hers at the words, making her breath hitch.

"Say it again," he demanded, working his hand beneath her back to loosen the laces of her corset.

"I'm your wife," she repeated. Sasha growled, ripping the rest of the laces free and tossing the garment across the room. Lifting himself just enough to look into her eyes, he smiled wolfishly.

"Say it again."

#

The first time Payson had gotten married, everything felt different the next day. It felt foreign and new, and scary for her to suddenly be someone's wife. But with Sasha, life just went on. The weight of her wedding ring was a comforting reminder, but their lives didn't change in any tangible way. They were still just Payson and Sasha. Nothing appeared outwardly different.

Except for the large banner hanging outside the Rock that said; "Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Belov!" Payson and Sasha shared a look.

"Annabelle," they agreed, sharing a smile.

"My mom is coming in today, so I should be on the floor with you most of the day," Payson said as they entered the office, moving towards their own desks. "But I want some time to work with Annabelle on her double front tuck full. We really don't have much time and she's still a ways from being able to stick it."

"Of course," Sasha agreed. "Take whatever time you need with her."

"Thanks, love," Payson said. She leaned over to kiss him quickly as the doors to the gym opened and Annabelle's voice drifted up to them.

"Hey married people! Let's go, I've got an Olympics to sweep!" Payson and Sasha shared a laugh.

"I believe I'm being summoned," Payson laughed as she made her way towards the floor.

Annabelle was waiting by the beam, already working through her stretches. She smiled brightly at Payson as she crossed the mats.

"Now that you guys are married, do I have to call you Coach Belov?" Annabelle asked, blinking sweetly. Payson snorted.

"No, you can still call me Payson, just like you always have."

"What if someone comes in and asks for Coach Belov? How will I know who they're referring to?" Annabelle pressed. Payson fought a smile.

"I think it will be safe to assume that they're looking for Sasha. He is, after all, still the head coach."

"You're not making this any fun," Annabelle pouted. Payson laughed, shaking her head, and gestured to the beam.

"Come on, we've got a lot of work to do today."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Obediently, Annabelle crawled onto the beam, and readied herself for the double front tuck full. They were still working on it as an isolated skill, trying to get Annabelle comfortable with the movement, to stick it, before they added it in to her routine and Payson worried that with only four weeks until the Olympic Trials it would never be ready in time.

"Remember, get as much height as you can off the beam," Payson said as Annabelle prepared herself. Payson fought the urge to close her eyes as Annabelle performed the skill, it was never easy to watch a gymnast fall, even if it was just in practice.

Annabelle managed to land on her feet, but her momentum carried her forward and she had to take two big steps to stay that way. Payson sighed. At least she wasn't landing it on her butt anymore.

"Okay, it's getting better. Let's just keep working it."

#

Lauren took one last look at herself in her visor mirror, reapplying her cherry red lipstick, before getting out of her car. It was time to put the plan in motion; Kelly, Kaylie, and Emily had agreed to let Lauren have mostly free reign with the plan, as long as she made sure Payson and Sasha never got wind of it.

Putting a little extra swing in her hips, Lauren sauntered inside the Rock, pausing briefly just inside the doors to figure out where Adam was. When she finally spotted him standing at the edge of the pit, watching Payson work with Annabelle on the beam, it struck her how much like Nicky Russo he looked. He was obviously a gymnast, his short, stocky build was a dead giveaway, and his dark features were just as brooding as Nicky's had been. At least he was relatively attractive, the plan would go a lot more smoothly if she didn't have to pretend to be somewhat attracted to him.

"Isn't she just amazing?" Lauren asked as she sidled up next to him. He glanced at her quickly, and then back again, allowing his eyes to trail up and down her body quickly.

"Yeah," He agreed. Confusion flashed in his eyes. "Who?"

"Annabelle. Reigning World Champ, does a vault no one else in the world can do, working on a beam dismount that almost no one in the world can do. She's amazing," Lauren repeated. Adam nodded.

"Sure, but anyone would be amazing getting that much individualized attention. I thought Payson was the Rock coach, not Annabelle's personal coach," Adam sneered. Lauren rolled her eyes.

"There's only a month left until the Olympic Trials, of course she's getting a little more personalized coaching, but so are the other elite girls. It just happens around this point in the cycle. You would know that if you'd ever actually been on the Olympic track. Where did you compete?" Lauren asked sweetly. She couldn't resist the dig, but in her experience men would work harder for your attention if you knocked them down a peg or two first.

"University of Michigan," he grumbled. Lauren smiled.

"Well, it's no Olympics but it certainly isn't something to be ashamed of either. What was your event?" Lauren moved a little closer to him, trying to draw his eyes away from Payson and Annabelle.

"Pommel horse," he said curtly. Lauren tried not to let her frustration show. The man had a laser like focus on the beam. Subtlety was not going to work.

"I'm Lauren, by the way," she introduced.

Finally he turned towards her to shake her hand. She gave him her best "come hither" smile and lightly stroked her fingers across his palm as he pulled his hand away. She saw him shiver.

"Adam."

"Adam," she said, making her voice drip with sensuality and stepping in close enough that she was almost pressed against him. "Why don't you take me out for a drink tonight?"

His eyes traveled her body again, much more slowly this time, and he grinned.

#

"I saw something very strange at the gym today," Payson said as she, Sasha, and Harper sat down for their first dinner as an official family.

"Oh?" Sasha asked, looking up from cutting Harper's chicken into bite sized pieces.

"Yeah. Lauren and Adam left together, and they looked very cozy," Payson said. Sasha snorted out a laugh.

"Figures those two would find each other," Sasha said. "If it keeps him out of our business, I say go for it."

"Yeah," Payson said distractedly. Sasha glanced up at her.

"What?" he asked. Payson thought for a moment, chewing her lip as she ran through her memories of the past couple of weeks.

"I think the girls are up to something," she said slowly. It would be just like Kelly, and Lauren, to try taking matters into their own hands.

"What of it?" Sasha asked. "Like I said, if it keeps Adam distracted, let them have their fun."

"Aren't you worried it will come back to bite us?" Payson asked. She could think of so many times when their schemes had backfired, and the last thing they needed was another complication this close to the Trials. Sasha laughed loudly.

"Maybe, but where's the fun in that?" He winked at Payson, drawing a smile from her, and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"I suppose you're right," she sighed. He tossed her another cheeky grin.

"Love, I'm always right."

#

Lauren slipped out of Adam's bed and grabbed her cell phone from her purse before slipping into the bathroom. The clock said it was nearly two in the morning, which meant it was four in Miami and if Kelly wasn't already up, she would be soon. Kelly had flown home after the wedding, planning to return in time for the Trials, and had demanded the Lauren keep her updated on the progress of the plan.

Lauren had strung Adam along for a week, flirting with him and making him take her on dates, making him think every night was _the_ night, until it wasn't. Finally, knowing that she risked losing his attention and therefore ruining the plan, she'd slept with him. And if the way he'd talked to her after was any indication, she had him by the balls. He would do anything she wanted, whenever she wanted.

_Phase 2 is a go. Boy is wrapped around my finger. Lo_

Lauren sent the text, smiling to herself. It felt good to be plotting for someone else's benefit rather than her own.

"Lo, you okay?" Adam's sleepy voice asked from the other side of the door. Lauren gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror and then put on a smile as she opened the door.

"Better than okay, baby," she said in her sexiest voice. "Take me to bed."

**A/N: BIG thanks to remuslives, franxample, THE VOLTURI RULE, Ida-cullen, Anonymous, goalie19, lakessler, explamation points forever, Egyptian Kiss, XNatalieX, Kiwiflea, LauraW89, Barrel of Monkeys, and poppetrussell for your reviews! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the wedding **

**Now, I try not to do snap-shot chapters like this (with super short scenes) too often, but this one called for it. Next time, we'll pretty much be up to the Trials! Woohoo!**

**Fair warning (and try not to hate me): Updates on any of my fics during the month of November are probably going to be scarce. I'm doing a little something called NaNoWriMo and it will take up most if not all of my spare time. ****That said; reviews tend to make me throw caution to the wind. So if you want to see some during November…you know what to do!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N 1: I'm baaaaaaack :)**

**Chapter 25, Part 1: Eye of the Tiger**

"_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight / Risin' up to the challenge of our rival / And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night / And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger"_

Payson had forgotten the contradiction of the Karolyi Ranch during the Olympic Trials; the ranch itself was stunningly serene with towering pines and that rustic camp feel, but the air was thick with the tension of dreams about to either come true or die. It was enough to take Payson's breath away.

"Payson Keeler!" Bela Karolyi's booming voice made her jump and Sasha laughed softly. She glared at him before allowing herself to be swept into a Bela bear-hug. She laughed and hugged him back.

"It's Payson Belov now, Bela," Payson reminded him, holding out her hand to show him the rings. He laughed deeply, a little like she had always imagined Santa sounded, and covered her hand with both of his.

"My dear girl…" he rambled on in a mixture of Romanian and English, and something he said had Sasha laughing. Payson raised an eyebrow at him, asking for an explanation.

"He said he always knew your last name would be Belov someday," Sasha supplied. Payson smiled at him. They'd been married for a month, but it certainly didn't feel like it; she still felt like she'd walked down the aisle only the day before.

"You are ready for selections to begin?" Bela asked as he ushered Payson and Sasha inside the state of the art training facilities. There were two large gym's on the property; one for the men and one for the women, not to mention a "regular" gym full of cardio equipment and weight machines, plus a room for yoga classes. When she had come to the Trials as an athlete, Payson had been eternally gratefully for yoga; she'd never been a big believer in it until then, but it was the perfect way to let go of tension and stress after a long day of the second biggest competition of her life.

"We are," she promised him. He reached out to cup her cheek, giving her a fatherly smile. Bela had taken an instant liking to her at the 2012 trials, and had treated her like a daughter through the entire process. Since Sasha had been required to remain impartial, it had been a great comfort to Payson and she hoped that Bela would take Annabelle and her other elite girls under his wing as well.

"I wish you were competing, puiule," Bela said. "There was never a gymnast like you."

Payson smiled sadly. It was hard to hear things like that when she was technically at an age where she could still compete; her body might even have been able to handle another cycle. The decision to retire had been a surprisingly difficult one, and sometimes she found herself wishing she could change her mind. Watching the 2016 Games from the stands had been one thing, coaching the Games was entirely another.

"We have one who might be close," Sasha said, taking pity on her and breaking in. Bela's eyes danced as he looked up.

"Ah yes, your World Champion," Bela said.

"She added a new skill," Payson said.

"What skill?" Bela demanded. Payson shook her head, trying not to laugh at the legend's enthusiasm for all things gymnastics.

"You'll know it when you see it," Payson promised. Bela scoffed and waved his hand dismissively, like he couldn't believe she wouldn't just tell him the skill.

"Payson, Sasha, I was beginning to think you'd never get here," Adam said, coming from across the gym to meet them. Payson didn't miss the way Bela's eyes flashed dangerously the closer Adam got; the old man didn't like him.

"Adam," Sasha said from between his teeth, reluctantly shaking Adam's offered hand. Payson folded her arms across her chest and just nodded at her co-assistant coach.

For the last two weeks in Boulder, things had been quiet in relation to Adam. He spent much of his time outside the gym with Lauren, and she had even been able to drag him away from the gym during the day too, but Payson knew it couldn't last. Now that they were at the ranch and Lauren was back home in Boulder, he was bound to resume his trouble making. Payson shivered when she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers, and fought the urge to wretch.

"Come, come," Bela said, breaking the tension and wrapping an arm around Payson's shoulders. "The selections will start soon."

Bela led them across the gym to a raised platform with a long table. There were six seats at the table and each had a notepad and pen in front of it, as well as a stack of scoring sheets. Payson felt her adrenaline spike, like she was about to perform instead of watch others do it. Sasha took his seat in the center, with her on one side and Marta Karolyi on the other. Kelly had flown in the night before, and when she saw the Belovs taking their seats she dashed up to meet them.

"Hey," she said, flopping into the open seat next to Payson. There were no squealing hugs or overtures, there never were with Kelly, but she did reach over and squeeze Payson's knee happily.

"Hey. How's it been?" Payson asked, nodding at the floor, where the panic of each gymnast was palpable. Only Annabelle looked serene, standing off in the corner, but Payson knew her panic was raging on the inside.

"You know, it's the Trials," Kelly said by way of explanation. Payson nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. Even the most unflappable athletes had trouble during the Trials, falling when they usually stuck landings, wobbling when they were usually steady. Kelly had botched an uneven bars routine during the Trials she'd burst into tears and run off the floor, convinced she wouldn't make the team. Lauren had almost broken her ankle on a fall off the beam, Kaylie's feet had slipped right out from under her during her final tumbling pass on floor, and even Payson's vault had been sloppy. None of them had performed at the top of their game, and they were the best in the world.

"I haven't seen Annabelle's dismount," Kelly went on. "But her vault is looking great."

Payson tried to ignore the lump in her throat. Annabelle still wasn't landing the dismount consistently, as least not consistently enough to impress Marta Karolyi, to whom the big moves didn't matter unless you could do them perfectly again and again. She was landing it, at least, and sometimes she was sticking it, but Payson had been worried about it all day.

"She hasn't done her dismount at all since she got here, I'm guessing," Payson said. "If she lands badly, she's afraid it will shake her concentration."

"I get that," Kelly muttered.

The other NGO rep took her seat on the opposite end of the table, relegating Adam to the very last seat next to Kelly. Payson smiled at what had undoubtedly been a strategic arrangement on Kelly's part. With Adam sitting at the end next to a very loud and opinionated Kelly, there was little chance his opinion would be heard at all.

"Nice work," Payson said. Kelly just smirked.

"All right, let's get this started," Sasha said into the tiny microphone in front of his chair. "This will begin the first of two days of team selection; the top ten girls from today will move on and compete tomorrow, where we will select our five member Olympic Team, as well as two alternates."

There was a flurry of movement on the floor as athletes prepared to start the competition. Sasha's hand settled over Payson's knee beneath the table, squeezing firmly. Payson smiled and laced her fingers through his.

"Good luck, ladies," Sasha said.

And the competition began.

#

"We're running out of time, Adam," Ellen Beals hissed. "Once the Team Selection is made, the NGO will be highly unlikely to fire Sasha Belov. What have you got?"

Adam sighed. It had been a very long day of watching the girls compete for the chance to live out their Olympic dreams, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with Beals. He wanted to go back to his room at the ranch and call Lauren, but Beals was making that impossible.

"I don't have anything," he said sharply. "The two of them are squeaky clean and if I were the NGO I wouldn't dream of firing them. Ever."

Ellen's eyes flashed dangerously and his heart sank. He knew that look; she was like a cornered animal feeling desperate and out of options. In truth, he felt that way too but he wasn't nearly as diabolical as Ellen Beals, despite what everyone at The Rock thought. He had accepted defeat. Beals hadn't.

"Well then what good are you?" she snapped. Adam hung his head.

"I'll take it from here, but I expect you to be ready," Ellen said, turning towards the door.

"Ready for what?" Adam asked. Surely she couldn't be thinking of pressing on? They were done, toast. There was no way to unseat Sasha Belov as National and Olympic Team coach.

"For whatever I need you to do, Adam. Remember who brought you to the NGO, and who can just as surely see you removed." Adam sighed and nodded.

"Of course, Ms. Beals."

#

"Annabelle," Payson said, trying to stop the girl in her pacing. It didn't work, Annabelle continued to wear through the carpet like a caged, agitated animal. Payson reached out to snag her by the arm. "Annabelle! Listen to me."

"I blew it, Payson," Annabelle snapped. Payson waited and watched as Annabelle's face fell and she scrubbed a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Belle, if anyone understands the pressure you're under right now, it's me. But you did not blow it, you made it to tomorrow, right?" Payson reminded her. Annabelle nodded.

"Yeah, but I fell on the dismount. Marta is either going to keep me off the team or she's going to insist I change it!" Annabelle said, her agitation mounting again. Payson shook her head, laughing a little bit.

"I know Marta is intimidating, but she is not the coach of the Olympic Team, Sasha is. And while she might have a good deal of sway with those at the NGO, her word isn't law. You are the World Champion, Belle, barring injury you _will_ be competing at the Games next month." Of course, that was a promise Payson may not be able to keep. If Annabelle didn't get her nerves under control, she wouldn't make the top five and if she didn't make the top five she wouldn't compete at the Games. But telling her that would only make matters worse, so Payson kept it to herself.

"How do I fix it?" Annabelle asked. Payson smiled, steering Annabelle to her bed and sitting her down on the edge. Payson knelt in front of her so that the two women were eye to eye.

"Close your eyes," Payson instructed softly. Annabelle's eyes fluttered closed and Payson nodded to herself. "Now breathe in, nice and deep."

Annabelle did as she was told, holding the breath until Payson instructed her to release it.

"Keep breathing," Payson said. "Now with each breath in, remember that you're breathing in strength. You're breathing in the energy of all the Olympians who have been here before you, their legacy, and their greatness. Feel it strengthen your muscles; fortify your spirit and your will. It's the brightest white light that sparkles like stars as it moves through you, do you see it?"

This part of the visualization was a little too mystical for Payson's tastes and when she was competing she would have laughed anyone who tried to guide her through it right out of the room, but she and Annabelle were very different athletes; the mysticism of it would only help Bella. She needed to know that she wasn't alone on the floor.

Annabelle nodded, still breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.

"Good. Now see how when you breathe it in, it replaces a black, inky sinister cloud? It pushes that black cloud to the tips of your fingers and toes, making it wait there to be expelled. You have to expel it, Annabelle. When you breathe out, let it go. The blackness knows it doesn't belong in you, and if you let it go it will leave. Feel it leaking out the tips of your fingers, draining from you until all that's left is the light," Payson whispered.

Payson fell silent, letting Annabelle breathe and visualize until the girl's shoulders slumped and the crease in her forehead disappeared. Only when she was completely calm and relaxed did Payson speak again.

"Open your eyes," Payson said quietly. Annabelle's eyes flicked open instantly. "How do you feel?"

"Good," Annabelle said, her voice strong and sure. "Much better."

"Very good. Now tomorrow, before you take the floor, I want you to do that again, okay? You are not alone on that floor, Annabelle, every gymnast who's ever come before you is there, cheering you on, guiding you, including me," Payson said with a smile. Annabelle frowned.

"But you'll be sitting at the judges' table," Annabelle pointed out.

"Physically, yes. But in spirit, I'll be on the floor with you." Annabelle smiled broadly, surging forward and throwing her arms around Payson's neck with so much force she nearly fell backwards.

"Thanks Payson. I don't know if I could do this with anyone but you and Sasha," Annabelle said. Payson reached out to ruffle Annabelle's hair.

"Yes you could, you're a champion Belle, you'd have done it no matter what."

#

Payson and Sasha were lounging in bed the next morning, waiting for the alarm clock to tell them it was time to truly rise, as they basked in the afterglow. Sasha's fingers sifted through Payson's hair, nearly lulling her back to sleep, but she forced her eyes to stay open.

"I hate this," Payson muttered, turning her face into Sasha's chest and inhaling deeply the comforting scent of cedar. She smiled.

"What? Lying in bed with me?" Sasha asked, matter-of-factly. He tossed the covers aside and moved to stand. "Okay."

"No!" Payson groaned, catching his arm and pulling him back down. He chuckled and pulled the covers back up over them.

"What do you hate, love?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Selection. I hate that we can't be there to cheer our girls on, that we have to watch impartially and not even so much as look them in the eye," Payson groused. Sasha wrapped his arms tightly around Payson and kissed the top of her head. She nearly purred. They rarely had enough time in the mornings to just lie in bed and enjoy each other.

"I know, but they understand, Pay. Didn't you?" Sasha asked. Payson nodded.

"Well yes, but I didn't like it. I think the only thing that saved me from a mental breakdown was Bela," Payson said. Sasha laughed.

"He and my Dad are remarkably similar, don't you think?" Sasha asked. Payson laughed loudly.

"Yes, they are," she said. "I don't know how I didn't notice it before."

A firm knock sounded at the door. Payson and Sasha frowned at each other, quickly getting out of bed and pulling on clothing. Payson hung back as Sasha opened the door to reveal two NGO officials and Ellen Beals. Payson's heart started to hammer in her chest. Ellen Beals and the NGO at their door before the second day of competition started could not mean good things.

"Good morning," Sasha said genially, though the question was in his eyes.

"Mr. and Mrs. Belov, we have an urgent matter to discuss with you," said an NGO official Payson recognized but whose name she couldn't remember.

"About?" Payson asked, coming up behind Sasha and rest a hand in the middle of his back. His muscles tensed beneath her fingers.

"It has come to our attention that there may be an inappropriate relationship between Coach Belov and Annabelle Mason."

Standing back behind the NGO officials, Ellen Beals smiled.

**A/N 2: Thank you to JTellersOldLady, Kipitry, HopeFlies, Kiwiflea, franxample, Ardin, Barrel of Monkeys, poppetrussel, and LauraW89 for your reviews last chapter! **

**Happy December! Now that NaNo is over, I can devote a little more time to writing fic. And yes, by the way, I did succeed in writing 50k words during the 30 days of November, but my novel still has about 8k to go before I'm done. With the first draft. So it's not over yet, lol. **

**Keep in mind, my Olympic Team Selection procedures are NOT the real selection procedures. I was not at all going for accuracy here, and I changed a lot just for the hell of it. ****Also, I know this chapter is a bit shorter than I usually like, but I'm splitting it into two parts because there is just SO much to cover! So be patient with me. And as always…**

**Review please!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 25 Part 2: Eye of the Tiger**

"_Rising up, straight to the top / had the guts, got the glory"_

"Oh that's rich," Payson snapped, glaring at Beals. "You already tried this once, Ellen. It didn't work then, what makes you think it's going to work now? Sasha has done nothing…"

"I'm not talking about Sasha," Ellen broke in. Payson fell into shocked silence. If Ellen wasn't talking about Sasha…

"Payson? You think Payson is having some inappropriate relationship with Annabelle?" Sasha asked, sounding absolutely dumbfounded. He looked back and forth between Payson and Ellen Beals. "Payson?"

"I'm sorry, Coach Belov, but you understand we do have to investigate this," said one of the NGO officials. Payson nodded.

"Of course," she agreed. It was inconvenient, but she hadn't done anything wrong and she knew it. She would rather the NGO investigate and let her get on with her life than fight them. Sasha shook his head, but stood aside to let them into the room.

"This is ridiculous," he hissed. Payson laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"Calm down," she whispered. She saw him clench his teeth together, making his jaw twitch.

"Voi ucide ei," he growled. Payson gasped, thankful that he had thought to threaten Ellen Beals' life in Romanian instead of English.

"Sasha!" she scolded. He shrugged, unapologetic.

"Mr. Belov," one of the NGO officials broke in. "I'm sorry but we need to ask Payson a few questions privately."

Sasha started to protest, taking an intimidating step forward before Payson grabbed him by the arm and pushed him out the door.

"I'll be fine. Go tell Kelly what's going on," Payson instructed. His eyes still on Beals, Sasha leaned down for a quick kiss before complying.

"We really are sorry for the disturbance, Mrs. Belov," the official said. Beals snorted.

"It's fine, but I would like to do this as quickly as possible," Payson said, trying to be as amiable as possible.

"It came to our attention, Mrs. Belov," Ellen said, spitting Payson's new name like it was a dirty word. "That you spent nearly an hour today in Annabelle's room with her. Alone. With the door shut." Payson sighed. If it weren't for Ellen Beals, no one would have blinked twice at Payson being in Annabelle's room. It had been completely innocent.

"I did," Payson agreed. She didn't elaborate, didn't try to defend herself. Her strategy was to just answer the questions, no more and no less.

"Can you tell us why you were there, Mrs. Belov?" The NGO official asked. Payson nodded.

"I was doing my job as Annabelle's coach; we were discussing today's performance and I talked her through some visualization," Payson said. The NGO official nodded.

"And the door was shut because?" Ellen snapped. Payson glared at her, wanting nothing more than to slap that self satisfied smile right off her face.

"Because no one else needed to be party to our discussion," Payson said simply.

"Mrs. Belov, is it true that Annabelle frequently stays at your house overnight?" The official asked. Payson took a deep breath, trying very hard not to roll her eyes.

"At one point Annabelle was staying with Sasha and I because her parents were still in London with her sister and she was staying alone. Her sister was injured, she was stressed out about her own performances, it was no time for her to be staying by herself," Payson explained.

"A convenient excuse," Ellen hissed. Payson clenched her fists and forced herself not to respond.

"Well Mrs. Belov, we will have to talk to Annabelle and Annabelle's parents about this," the NGO guy said. Payson nodded, blowing out a breath and trying not to punch Ellen Beals in the face.

"And until then?" Payson asked.

"Until then we have to ask you not to have any contact with the athletes. You are still a coach so of course you may participate in team selection, but you may not talk to the gymnasts."

"Of course. Thank you." Payson felt strange thanking the man for telling her she couldn't approach her athletes, but she was actually glad that he was doing his job. It might be inconvenient for her, but it was all for the girls. Except in Ellen's head.

"We'll be in touch," he said, backing out the door. Beals was the last one out and at the last second Payson reached out to pull her back. She allowed her fingers to dig into the skin of Beals' arm, almost smiling at the tiny wince that flickered across her face.

"Yes?" Ellen asked.

"You never give up, do you?" Payson asked through her teeth.

"Not when I believe that Sasha's position as head coach is hurting the girls," Ellen said. Payson shook her head.

"You aren't all-knowing Ellen. And I won't let you get in the way of these girls winning gold in Johannesburg."

"You think Sasha is the only way they can do that?" Ellen asked. Payson met her gaze head on, not at all surprised at the spark of insanity she found there.

"I do. And apparently so does the rest of the NGO. Give it up, Beals. You're done."

#

Payson was laying on the bed she shared with Sasha, staring at the ceiling, when Kelly walked in, followed by her husband. The NGO officials hadn't been gone more than a few minutes, and Payson was pretty sure that Kelly and Sasha were hiding down the hall, waiting for them to leave. The thought made her smile.

"You okay?" Kelly asked, sitting down next to Payson while Sasha leaned against the wall. One glance told her that he was still upset; his shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. She wished he would relax a little, the grudge match between him and Beals was going to drive him crazy if he didn't just let it go.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just Beals being Beals," Payson said with a pointed look at Sasha. He rolled his eyes.

"I meant what I said earlier," Sasha told her. Now it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"You did not. I'm sure she'll be fired after they figure out that this was just a stupid stunt on her part," Payson said. Kelly snorted.

"I'm still not sure why she wasn't fired when we were still competing," Kelly said. Sasha snorted.

"Because she had someone in her back pocket, I'm sure of it," he said. Payson sighed, tired of talking about Ellen Beals.

"Can we talk about something else please? Did anyone talk to Annabelle?" Payson asked. Both Kelly and Sasha shook their heads.

"We weren't allowed to," Kelly said. Then she glanced down at her watch. "We have to go soon. Are you allowed to be at selection?"

"Yeah, I just can't talk to any of the girls. But Kelly, if they talked to Annabelle she's going to be freaking out…" Payson said. The last thing Annabelle needed was to be thrown off her game because of Ellen Beals' stupid vendetta. She would need someone to calm her down, and since it couldn't be Payson and it couldn't be Sasha, Kelly would have to do it.

"I'll talk to her. Anything specific you want me to say?" Kelly asked.

"Just remind her to visualize," Payson said. Kelly stood up and made for the door. As soon as it latched behind her, Sasha was crossing the room and kneeling down before Payson. His hands covered her knees, radiating heat that made her shiver.

"Are you really okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm fine, Sasha. I learned a long time ago not to let Ellen Beals get to me. I wish you had too," she said with a teasing smile. Instead of acknowledging her comment, Sasha leaned forward and pressed his lips hard against hers. Payson sucked in a breath, leaning back with the force of it, and then opened her mouth beneath his.

Sasha's tongue swept inside, brushing against hers, making her moan softly. She would never get tired of kissing him. Standing, Sasha pressed her back against the mattress, covering her body with his. As he kissed his way to her neck, scraping his teeth lightly against her vein, Payson arched against him and fisted her hand in his hair.

"We don't have time," Payson gasped as her entire body started to shake. She felt Sasha's chuckle rumble against her as his hand slipped beneath the hem of her shirt to unbutton her jeans.

"There's always time."

#

"Do I even want to know what took you guys so long?" Kelly asked as Payson and Sasha hurried up to the long table where the rest of the selection committee was waiting. Payson felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she looked at the floor.

"No, you don't," Payson said. She took her seat between Sasha and Kelly and looked out at the floor. Gymnasts were warming up, ready for their last chance to make it on to the Olympic Team. Annabelle was waiting just off the floor, chewing on her cuticles. "Did you talk to Annabelle?"

"I did. She's a little shaken up, but she said she's going to do this for you," Kelly explained. Payson nodded, catching Annabelle's eye. The gymnast gave her a tiny wave, really just a wiggle of her fingers, and then turned her attention back to the floor. That little gesture was enough for Payson to believe that Annabelle would be okay.

Sasha started the rotations, watching each gymnast with an eagle eye. Payson made as many notes as she could to make the selection process easier. Annabelle looked as strong as ever, completing each routine with solid consistency. Her triple twisting vault was flawless.

When Annabelle stepped up to the beam, saluting the selection committee, Payson reached over for Kelly's hand, squeezing hard. She felt more nervous for this girl than she had for herself in all her days of competition.

"She's got this," Sasha muttered so that only Payson could hear. She thought he might be right, Annabelle was steady like a rock on the beam. There was no wobble in her knees, no balance checks, nothing. She was on fire.

Payson held her breath as Annabelle approached the dismount. It was now or never, if Annabelle couldn't nail the dismount here Sasha would never let her keep it for the actual Games.

"She's got it," Kelly said, echoing Sasha. Payson's grip tightened on Kelly's hand.

Annabelle stuck it.

"Yes!" Payson couldn't help but whisper. Loudly. Sasha's knee hit hers under the table and she clapped her free hand over her mouth. She was supposed to be an impartial observer, but Annabelle had just stuck a landing that few other gymnasts in history could claim they had.

"I can't believe she actually did it," Payson breathed. Annabelle looked up towards the table and gave Payson the tiniest thumbs up.

#

"Coach Belov?" Payson stopped and turned towards the person calling her name. It was the NGO official who had been with Ellen Beals.

"Yes?" Payson asked, waiting for him to catch up. She tried to read his expression; would he be giving her good news or bad?

"We've spoken with Annabelle and her parents, we've also had other officials back in Boulder talk to some of your gym members, and we've found no evidence to support Ms. Beals' claim," he said.

"Just like I thought," Payson said, trying not to be too rude.

"So, you're free and clear," he said. Payson nodded.

"Thank you." She dismissed the official without much fanfare. She had known there was nothing inappropriate about her talk with Annabelle, it was a last ditch effort on Ellen's part to shake things up. And Ellen had failed, again. Payson wondered if the woman would finally give up; eight years was a long time to keep fighting a losing battle.

Payson put Ellen out of her mind and hurried towards the conference room where the committee would be making choosing the Olympic team.

"Where were you?" Kelly asked as Payson slipped into the room. She was the last committee member to arrive.

"The NGO official was just letting me know that the whole thing with Annabelle has been cleared up," Payson said. Kelly snorted.

"Duh. I was talking to Marta earlier and she told me that she and Bela are about to ban Ellen Beals from the property she's given them so much trouble over the years," Kelly said.

"I'm sure," Payson agreed. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, we haven't started yet. Sasha wanted to wait for you." Sasha's hand landed on her knee under the table, squeezing lightly.

"Everything okay?" he asked. Payson nodded and offered him a smile.

"Yup," she promised.

"Good. Let's get started."

#

"Mommy! Daddy!" Payson couldn't believe how happy she was to see Harper come barreling out of the Keeler house the second she and Sasha pulled in the driveway. It had been a long two weeks at the Karoyli ranch and Payson wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with her daughter and her husband.

"Hi baby!" Payson cried, swinging Harper up into her arms and hugging her tightly. Harper squeezed her neck and then squirmed towards Sasha, who plucked her out of Payson's arms and swung her around.

"Did Belle make the Olympics?" Harper asked him, taking his face in her tiny hands and staring right into his eyes. Payson smiled.

"Yes, puiule, she did."

"Yay! She's going to win gold, just like mommy!" Harper shrieked. Payson brushed the hair away from Harper's face.

"And just like Daddy too. He won a gold medal when Mommy was just a little older than you," Payson explained. Harper's eyes went wide.

"You did Daddy?" Harper asked. Sasha nodded.

"I did."

"Someday I'm going to win a gold medal too," Harper said. Sasha winked at Payson and then pressed his forehead against Harper's.

"If your mom and I coach you, you bet you will."

#

2 Months Later

There was nothing in the world that could compare to the atmosphere of an Olympic arena. Johannesburg, Rio, London, they all felt the same to Payson. The buzz of thousands of spectators just waiting to watch you make it or break it, the crushing pressure of competition, and the way your skin itched to compete. Even for a retired gymnast turned coach, the pull of each apparatus was strong. If Payson could have put herself on the team just for one day, she would have.

Instead, she, Kelly, and Sasha stood just off the floor, watching their gymnasts with the knowledge that they couldn't do anything more for them. Sure, they could give a last minute pep talk or a few gentle reminders before the rotation, but most of their job was to sit and watch.

Payson looked up into the stands. Austin was sitting near the front with Emily, Damon, Kaylie, and Lauren, and he offered an exaggerated salute when he caught her looking. Payson elbowed Kelly and then jerked her chin at the stands.

"Is your husband ever going to grow up?" Payson asked. Kelly snorted and shook her head.

"Not a chance."

Annabelle's parents were there too, a little farther up the stands, sitting with Samantha. Payson could see, even from far away, the warring emotions on Samantha's face. She was so proud of her sister, but she also wished that she was competing too.

A camera panned in front of them and Payson glanced at it and smiled just a little bit, knowing that her parents and Harper would see it. She hated that she was away from her daughter for so long, but she knew that to bring Harper to Johannesburg would have been a terrible idea. There was too much chaos, too much going on.

The competition passes by in a blur. When her girls weren't competing, Payson was talking with them; either pumping them up for the upcoming rotation or getting them to relax if they were done. And when they were competing, her eyes were glued to them as she held her breath.

"Can you believe how far we've come?" Sasha asked, his hand clasping hers as they watched Annabelle at the top of the podium, accepting the gold medal for All Around competition.

"Hardly," Payson said. She squeezed his fingers and looked at him. She had something important to tell him, but she wanted to wait until the perfect moment.

"You okay, love?" he asked, his eyebrows knit together in a frown. She smiled at him, wishing so badly she could kiss him but not wanting to take the attention away from the girls on the podium. She wasn't just okay, she was perfect.

"I'm pregnant."

**The End**

**A/N: Before you all come after me with torches and pitchforks, know that I thought long and hard about whether or not the end the story here. That's part of why it's taken me so long to post. In all honesty, I had planned to end this five chapters ago but you all are so awesome I decided to keep going. But I think that this is a natural place for the story to end. **

**I hope you are all happy with the way I ended things. And before you ask, at this point I am not planning a sequel. For now I'm focusing on my current original piece and Right Now (though it will be a little while yet before I post another chapter to it because I have a lot of plotting to do). **

**Fun fact: In the past fourteen months I have written THREE novel length pieces (For You, the World; this; and my original). That blew my mind. **

**Anyway, enough rambling. Thank you all for following this fic and let me know what you think!**


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